UNESCO to Send Experts to Haiti to Examine 'Columbus Ship'

UNESCO said on Monday it will send experts to Haiti toexamine a wreck believed to be the remains of the Santa Maria, ChristopherColumbus's flagship from his first voyage to the Americas.

The remains of a ship were found in the area where Columbussaid the Santa Maria ran aground more than 500 years ago.

Haiti had written to UNESCO requesting experts examine thewreck, located off the town of Cap-Haitien in the country's north, and therehave been concerns over theft.

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova expressed worries over the threatof "looting of underwater heritage sites off the shores of Haiti."

"We stand by the authorities in fighting illicittrafficking in underwater cultural heritage objects and urge states to join Haiti'sefforts to find artefacts stolen from these underwater archaeological sites,notably the one that will visited by UNESCO's mission," she said.

In May, US underwater explorer Bill Clifford said hebelieved he had identified the wreck of the Santa Maria, one of the three shipsColumbus led on his first crossing of the Atlantic.

The Santa Maria sank on 25 December 1492, after driftingonto a reef off the northern coast of Haiti the previous day.

Explorers, including Clifford's team, visited the wreck in2003 and identified a cannon believed to date from the 15th century. It hassince disappeared.