Over 90 Killed in Mozambique Boat Tragedy

AFP/APP

Maputo: More than 90 people killed when an overcrowded makeshift boat tragedy off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities said on Sunday.

The converted fishing boat, carrying about 130 people, ran into trouble as it tried to reach an island off Nampula province, officials said.

“Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers, it ended up sinking. There are 91 people who lost their lives,” said Nampula’s secretary of state, Jaime Neto. 

Many children were among the victims, he added. Rescuers had found five survivors and were searching for more, but sea conditions were making the operation difficult.

Most passengers were trying to escape the mainland because of a panic caused by disinformation about cholera, 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.