The bodies of 17 Brazilian troops who died in the Haiti earthquake have been escorted back to their home country.

A memorial was held on Tuesday night at the military air base in the capital Brasilia. The army said in a statement that 18 troops have been confirmed dead since the quake hit.

Brazil leads the UN peacekeeping force deployed to the Caribbean nation in 2004.

This came after a rebellion by gangs and former soldiers forced elected Haitian President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, into exile.

The bodies of 17 Brazilian troops who died in the Haiti earthquake have been escorted back to their home country.  [CCTV.com]

(CCTV January 21, 2010)