A boat with 20 dead people aboard was found about a mile off Grand Turk island last week, authorities announced Sunday.

The small vessel was found Thursday by fishermen who alerted police.

Takara Bain, a communications officer with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, said investigators had ruled out foul play but are still working to determine how the deaths occurred.

The small boat appears to have arrived from outside the Caribbean, according to Police Commissioner Trevor Botting.

Botting added that authorities do not believe the boat’s destination was the Turks and Caicos.

“My investigators are working to establish their identities and how they met their death,” Botting said.

With Post wires