At least 41 people were confirmed dead on Wednesday after 20 more bodies were found washed ashore in the wake the sinking of a Dominican migrant boat.

The boat had been overloaded with some 70 migrants bound for Puerto Rico when it capsized on Saturday.

The bodies recovered Wednesday "were in an advanced state of decomposition, so we are proceeding to bury them immediately," said Luis Frias, civil defense chief in the eastern Sabana de la Mar township.

Crews have rescued 13 people, the intelligence director of the Dominican Republic's navy, Luis Casto said, with more bodies expected to be found this week.

The accident is one of the worst in memory in the Caribbean nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

ccp/dfm (AFP, AP)