Santo Domingo: Rescuers have recovered a seventh body following the capsizing of a migrant boat off the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

The boat sank on Friday while attempting to reach Puerto Rico, a US territory, according to the emergency responders of the Dominican Civil Defense.

"We are finishing today with the discovery of another body," said Fernando Castillo, provincial director of the Civil Defense as rescue efforts entered the third day.

So far, 17 survivors — including Haitian and Dominican nationals and one child — have been found by rescue teams.

"We are continuing the search as bodies continue to appear, but we don't know exactly how many people were on board the boat," added Castillo.

According to some of the rescued migrants, the vessel had been carrying between 40 and 50 people. They reported seeing other individuals alive in the water after the vessel went down on Friday. However, officials have not been able to confirm the exact number of passengers.

Search efforts are expected to resume on Monday, after which authorities will evaluate whether to continue operations.

"We have miraculously seen people appear after four, five or six days in previous disasters", said Civil Defense Director Juan Salas.

Over the weekend, search operations were hampered by challenging conditions, including heavy seaweed presence and strong tides.

Authorities said the migrants were travelling in a so-called "yola" boat—a type of boat typically made of wood or fibreglass and often lacking safety measures.

Migrants pay as much as $7,000 for a one-way trip to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.

The route between the Dominican Republic -- which shares the island of Hispaniola with war-torn Haiti -- and Puerto Rico has grown in popularity for migrants in recent years.

AFP