A fishing boat converted into a ferry capsized off the coast of Mozambique, killing more than 90 people. In the overloaded ship, 130 passengers were on board. “The boat sank because it was overloaded and unsuitable for carrying passengers. 91 people lost their lives,” said Jaime Neto, secretary of state of the northern province of Nampula.
Several children are among the victims, according to him. Rescuers found five survivors and continued their search, but the sea state made operations difficult. Most of the passengers were trying to flee the mainland due to false information about the ongoing cholera epidemic, which caused panic, according to Jaime Neto.
Flee the region due to cholera
Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in the world, has recorded nearly 15,000 cases of the disease transmitted by dirty water, and 32 people have died since October, according to government statistics.
Nampula province is the most affected region, concentrating a third of cases. In recent months, it has also welcomed many people fleeing a series of jihadist attacks in the neighboring province of Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country.
Opening an investigation
An investigation was opened to determine the causes of the sinking, said the Secretary of State, adding that two of the five survivors had been hospitalized.
The boat was heading towards the Island of Mozambique, the former capital of Portuguese colonization in East Africa, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.