( CNN ) -- 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 were n'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 . Officials could n't be immediately reached for comment to explain the discrepancy between the approximate 55 rescues the Coast Guard cited and the 33 detainees Farquhar discussed . The Turks and Caicos Islands government said in a Facebook statement that a sailing vessel believed to be carrying suspected illegal migrants was intercepted by the Marine Branch of the islands ' police force after 3 a.m. Wednesday . Two hours later , while the boat was being towed to a dock to unload the suspects , the sloop capsized , the statement said . `` The stricken vessel has now been removed from the water and will be central to our ongoing investigations into this matter , '' Farquhar said . `` We must all remain vigilant to combat illegal migration . '' He thanked police officers and emergency personnel for working under what he called `` challenging circumstances . '' Police were searching Wednesday `` for the handful of people who reached shore and fled the scene , '' the government said . The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British territory . The incident occurred near the country 's island of Providenciales , commonly known as `` Provo '' and described on the official tourism website as its most developed isle where most international flights arrive . The 33 rescued people -- all Haitians -- were in custody of the government 's immigration detention-removal center , Farquhar said . Authorities revised that figure from an earlier reported count of 32 rescued people . Haitian migrants seeking to enter the United States have used the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas as way stations to enter the United States . Migrants appear undeterred , even after deadly shipwrecks . CNN 's Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report .
NEW : Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force says it rescues five Haitians . NEW : The Haitians territory revises death toll to 12 -- 17 males and five females . NEW : Victims were on a sailing vessel that capsizes while it being towed by local authorities .