MAPUTO, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 91 people died after an overloaded boat capsized near the Island of Mozambique in Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula on Sunday, the state-run Radio Mozambique (RM) reported.
The fatal victims include children, and another 34 people were missing, the report said, adding that five survivors were found. Two of the five survivors were receiving treatment in hospital, the official said.
The vessel was a makeshift ferry departing from the district of Mossuril and carried a total of 130 passengers, the secretary of state in Nampula province Jaime Neto, was quoted as saying.
Neto told RM that passengers left their areas of origin, following a panic caused by the misinformation about the cholera outbreak.
“It is a vessel not prepared to transport so many people. It is a fishing vessel, and people had misinformation about the cholera outbreak, and they rushed to the vessel,” Neto said.
The southern African country, one of the world’s poorest, has recorded almost 15,000 cases of the waterborne disease and 32 deaths since October, according to government data.
Nampula is the worst affected region, accounting for a third of all cases.
In recent months, the province has also received a large influx of people fleeing a wave of jihadist attacks in its northern neighbour of Cabo Delgado.
A multisectoral team was organized by the authorities to continue to search for the missing and conduct investigation into the accident. — NNN-AGENCIES
