At least 94 lives, including children, have been lost, and 26 others remain missing following the tragic capsizing of a ferry boat off Mozambique’s northern coast.
According to state broadcaster TVM, the boat was transporting people fleeing the cholera outbreak devastating the nation.
Lourenco Machado, an administrator of INSTRASMAR, stated on state television that the vessel, an overloaded fishing boat, was not licensed to carry passengers.
“We witnessed a heartbreaking maritime incident on Sunday, where a barge carrying 130 individuals capsized. We have recovered 94 bodies, and 26 individuals are still unaccounted for,” he lamented.
The boat was en route from Lunga in Nampula province to Mozambique Island and was reportedly struck by a tidal wave, as per initial reports.
Passengers, seeking refuge from the cholera outbreak, were aboard the vessel, as confirmed by state broadcaster TVM, citing another local maritime administrator.
Jaime Neto, secretary of state for Nampula province, affirmed to the BBC that passengers were indeed fleeing cholera, emphasizing the unsuitability of the overcrowded boat for such transportation, leading to its tragic sinking. He also highlighted the devastating loss of many children among the victims.
