In a devastating maritime incident off the northern coast of Mozambique, at least 94 individuals have lost their lives, with an additional 26 reported missing, according to an official statement from the country’s Maritime Transport Institute (INTRASMAR).
The vessel involved was identified as an overloaded fishing boat, not authorized for the transportation of passengers, as revealed by Lourenco Machado, an administrator of INSTRASMAR, in a televised announcement on Monday.
Machado stated, “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.”
The ill-fated boat was reportedly ferrying passengers from Lunga in Nampula province to Mozambique Island. Initial reports suggested that it succumbed to a tidal wave.
According to state broadcaster TVM, citing local maritime authorities, the passengers aboard the vessel were fleeing from a cholera outbreak. This was corroborated by Jaime Neto, the secretary of state for Nampula province, who informed the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) that many of the passengers were indeed fleeing from cholera-ridden areas.
“Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers, it ended up sinking,” Neto told the BBC, underscoring that a significant number of children were among the deceased.
Leave a Reply