Ferry sank near Mozambique, over 90 people died
A ferry sank near the coast of Mozambique (photo: twitter.com/DannyWijnhoud)
Near the northern coast of Mozambique, a ferry capsized and sank. According to local authorities, at least 91 people died in the disaster, reports BBC.
Officials from the province of Nampula stated that the ferry could have been carrying 130 people. It is reported that five people were rescued after the shipwreck.
According to Nampula's Secretary of State Jaime Neto, people were fleeing a cholera outbreak. He added that many children were among the casualties of the disaster.
"Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers it ended up sinking," Mr Neto said.
The boat was travelling from Lunga to Mozambique Island, off the coast of Nampula.
Near Mozambique, a ferry with a large number of people on board has sunk (photo: screenshot from google.com/maps).
According to UNICEF, the cholera outbreak in Mozambique is the worst in the last 25 years. The province of Nampula was one of the most affected by the disease. Moreover, since January of last year, cholera has spread significantly to several countries in southern Africa.
The Mozambique government has reported 13,700 confirmed cases of cholera and 30 deaths.
A year ago, in March, a ferry caught fire in the southern Philippines with about 250 passengers and crew on board. Thirty-one people died as a result of the fire.
Also, before that, off the coast of Italy, a boat with migrants sank, resulting in the deaths of over 60 people, many of whom were children.
