Harare, Zimbabwe — A makeshift ferry sank off Mozambique’s northern coast Sunday, resulting in the tragic deaths of over 90 individuals, including children, with more than 20 still missing, according to officials.
Lourenco Machado, an administrator from the country’s Maritime Transport Institute (INTRASMAR), stated to Reuters news agency that out of the 130 people on board, at least 94 perished, including children, while 26 remain unaccounted for.
BBC News, a partner network of CBS News, reported that five individuals were rescued, as per officials in Nampula province.
Machado mentioned that the vessel in question was an overcrowded fishing boat that lacked the necessary license for passenger transportation.
Jaime Neto, Nampula Secretary of State, informed BBC that the tragic incident occurred due to the boat being overcrowded and unfit for passenger transport, leading to its sinking.
Reports indicated that some individuals were traveling to a fair, while others were fleeing from Lunga to the Island of Mozambique to avoid potential cholera contamination, which had been affecting the region recently, as per state broadcaster TV Diário Nampula.
Neto also mentioned that misinformation regarding a cholera outbreak caused panic among the people, prompting them to board the boat in an attempt to escape.
Mozambique, along with neighboring countries Zimbabwe and Malawi, has been grappling with a deadly cholera outbreak in recent months, with authorities working diligently to contain the situation.
Due to the limited accessibility of many areas in Mozambique, boats are often overcrowded as they serve as the only means of transportation, given the poor road network and certain areas being unreachable by land or air.
