At least 91 people died after an overloaded boat capsized near the Island of Mozambique in Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula on Sunday, the state-run Radio Mozambique (RM) reported.
The fatal victims include children, and another 34 people were missing, the report said. It added that rescuers found five survivors.
The vessel was a makeshift ferry departing Mossuril district.
Report quoted Jaime Neto, Secretary of State in Nampula province, as saying that the vessel carried a total of 130 passengers.
Neto told RM that passengers left their areas of origin, following a panic caused by the misinformation about the cholera outbreak.
“It is a vessel not prepared to transport many people.
“It is a fishing vessel, and people had misinformation about the cholera outbreak and they rushed to the vessel,” Neto said.
Authorities organised a multi-sectoral team to continue to search for the missing and conduct investigation into the accident. (Xinhua)
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