Local authorities in Nampula province, Mozambique, have reported a tragic incident as more than 90 individuals lost their lives when a ferry sank off the north coast. The authorities disclosed that only five people were rescued out of approximately 130 believed to have been aboard the vessel.
According to Jaime Neto, Secretary of State of Nampula, the passengers were fleeing a cholera outbreak, with many of the deceased being children. Mr. Neto explained that the ferry, overcrowded and unfit for passenger transport, tragically succumbed to sinking.
Unverified footage circulated on social media purported to depict numerous bodies strewn across a beach, further highlighting the devastating consequences of the incident.
Reportedly, the ferry was en route from Lunga to Mozambique Island, situated off the coast of Nampula, when the disaster struck.
Nampula province has been grappling with a severe cholera outbreak, which has afflicted numerous countries in southern Africa since January of the previous year, underscoring the desperate circumstances prompting the ill-fated voyage.