At Least 90 Dead As Packed Vessel Sinks In Mozambique: Report

At least 90 people were killed after a makeshift ferry sank on April 7. The incident happened in north coast of Mozambique. The overcrowded makeshift fishing boat carried about 130 people. The boat was trying to reach an Island off the Nampula province when it sank. Many children were among those who lost their lives.

Rescuers found five survivors and search for more are under way, but the sea condition is making the process difficult. Nampula’s secretary of state, Jamie Neto said most of the passengers among the boat were trying to flee the mainland due to the panic caused by disinformation about cholera, said media report.

Mozambique, the south African nation is one of the world’s poorest countries. The country has recorded nearly 15,000 cases of waterborne disease. 32 deaths were recorded since October 2023, as per government data. The Nampula is among the worst-affected region of the island nation, and account for one third for all cases.

Neto said an investigation team was deployed to find out the cause of the boat disaster. The boat was heading towards a small coral islet which used to serve as the capital of Portuguese East Africa. The island is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the UN’s culture agency. The island hosts a fortified city and was linked to the mainland by a bridge that was built in 1960s.

Nearly two-third of the country’s population who were living in poverty set high hopes on the vast natural gas deposits that was discovered in Cabo Delgado in 2010. An insurgency in 2017 by the militants linked to the Islamic State group has stalled progress, said media report. More than 5,000 people have been killed and nearly a million was forced to flee their homes since the fighting began.