13 Dead After Tourist Boat Capsizes in Nicaragua

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

A tourist boat capsized Saturday off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, leaving 13 dead, authorities told ABC News. 

The Reina del Caribe, or “Caribbean Queen” translated from Spanish, was carrying more than 30 people in the rain and strong winds when it capsized between the Corn Islands, a popular destination for tourists, ABC News reported.

The 13 victims were Costa Rican nationals, and most were women, ABC News said. The rest of the passengers were rescued.

READ MORE: 33 Photos That Will Make You Want To Fly To Nicaragua Right Now

Mario Berrios, the Nicaraguan navy's commander for the southern Caribbean region told ABC News that there were 32 passengers on the boat, 25 from Costa Rica, four from the U.S. and three from Nicaragua.

Authorities had suspended boat launches in the area because of inclement weather that had lasted several days, ABC News reported.

"There was a warning that the weather conditions would be bad, but it appears that was ignored and this tragedy happened," Berrios told ABC News.

READ MORE: Go Extreme: Climb Nicaragua’s Tallest Active Volcano

He added that the boat's captain and owner was detained.

Follow @acbredeson