At least 94 people died, including children, and 26 are missing after a ferry boat capsized off the northern coast of Mozambique, an official from the country’s Maritime Transport Institute (INTRASMAR) said.
The vessel was an overloaded fishing boat and was not licensed to transport people, Lourenco Machado, an administrator of INSTRASMAR, said on state television on Monday, Reuters reported.
“On Sunday we registered a maritime incident where at least 94 people died when a barge carrying 130 people capsized. We have recovered 94 bodies and 26 are missing,” he said.
The boat was ferrying people from Lunga in Nampula province to Mozambique Island, he said, adding that initial reports indicated that it was hit by a tidal wave.
The passengers were fleeing a cholera outbreak, said state broadcaster TVM, citing another local maritime administrator.
According to government figures, there have been 14,877 reported cases of cholera in Mozambique since October, and 32 related deaths. The UN children’s agency UNICEF has called it the worst cholera outbreak in the last two decades.
Mozambique lies along the eastern coast of Africa, and has a poor road network. Many regions are only accessible by boats, which tend to be overcrowded.
Peoplesmind