At least 17 people have died and dozens more were rescued after their boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean on Wednesday, according to the local government and U.S. officials.

The U.S. Coast Guard, assisting the islands' rescue crews, retrieved about 55 Haitians in waters 100 meters from shore, the U.S. agency said. They fell into the water when their overloaded sail freighter tipped over, the guard said.

The nationalities of the 17 dead people weren't immediately clear Wednesday, but 12 were males and five were female adults, said Colin Farquhar, commissioner of Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.  Earlier reports had put the death toll at 18.

Farquhar added that the search for additional casualties concluded late Wednesday because of darkness and worsening seas. The search will resume Thursday, he said.

Although the Coast Guard put the number of rescued at near 55, local authorities used different numbers.

A total of 33 people -- 21 men including a child and 12 females -- were detained as suspected illegal Haitian migrants and "will be repatriated to Haiti at the earliest opportunity," Farquhar said.

(Source: CNN)