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.
“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.
Item 1 of 3 A ferry sits on the shore, which according to an official was unlicensed, following an accident in Nampula Province, Mozambique, in this screen grab obtained from a video on April 8, 2024. Television of Mozambique/Handout via REUTERS
The passengers were fleeing a cholera outbreak, said state broadcaster TVM, citing another local maritime administrator.
Jaime Neto, secretary of state for Nampula province, also said that the passengers were fleeing cholera, according to the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC).
