At least 100 people are dead from the shipwreck off the northern coast of Mozambique, the president of the African country, Filipe Nyusi, said on Monday, while the fate of 20 other people is still unknown.
The Maritime Transport Institute of Mozambique (INTRASMAR) reported that 130 people were crammed into the fishing vessel, which had been converted into a ferry, without a license to carry passengers. The boat, which had several children on board, was carrying people from the town of Lunga on the island of Mozambique when it was hit by a tidal wave, according to reports.
An official in Nabula province said ten passengers were rescued, but about 20 were missing.
The president of Mozambique expressed his sadness at the tragedy and ordered the transport minister to go to the scene to coordinate investigations.
Video obtained by the Reuters news agency shows several bodies, including children, on a beach. According to reports, many families had rushed to board the ship following rumors of a cholera outbreak.
Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest countries, has recorded 15,051 cholera cases and 32 deaths since October, according to government figures. Nabula province has been hardest hit by the outbreak, with 5,084 cases and 12 deaths.
Source: APE – MEB
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