Over 90 people die in the Mozambique ferry disaster, according to officials

According to local authorities, a ferry capsized off the north coast of Mozambique, killing over ninety people.

Out of the approximately 130 persons thought to have been on board, officials in the province of Nampula reported that five had been rescued.

According to Jaime Neto, the secretary of state for Nampula, they were escaping a cholera outbreak. Among the dead, he said, were many children.

“The boat ended up sinking because it was overcrowded and unfit to carry passengers,” Mr. Neto stated.

Several bodies were allegedly seen laying on a beach in an unverified video that was shared on social media.

According to Portuguese broadcaster RTP, the boat was reportedly making its way from Lunga to Mozambique Island, which is located off the coast of Nampula.

In keeping with Islamic customs, some of the deceased have already been buried in this predominantly Muslim area.

Among the worst hit by the cholera outbreak that has swept through several southern African nations since January of last year is Nampula province.

The current outbreak is the worst in 25 years, according to Unicef. Mozambique has reported 13,700 confirmed cases and 30 deaths since October 2023.

Since it started more than six years ago, an Islamist insurgency in the nearby province of Cabo Delgado has resulted in the deaths of at least 4,000 people and the displacement of almost one million more.

The news of the boat tragedy shocked ordinary Mozambicans, especially given the high death toll.

Local journalist Charles Mangwiro told the BBC, “It’s shocking – the authorities are partly to blame for not doing enough to control and monitor sea traffic.”

Berta Madime, a different reporter in Mozambique, told the BBC that the recent accident occurs in spite of recent pressure on ferry operators to increase safety.

During the period of Portuguese colonization in East Africa, Mozambique Island served as the capital of the region for almost four centuries. Because of its rich history as a trading post and its colonial architecture, the island was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.