A tragic incident off the northern coast of Mozambique has claimed the lives of at least 94 individuals, including children, with 26 others reported missing, as a ferry boat capsized.
The boat, overloaded and not licensed for passenger transport, was carrying people fleeing the cholera outbreak devastating the nation.
Lourenco Machado, an administrator of INSTRASMAR, confirmed the grim toll, stating that the vessel, which was ferrying people from Lunga in Nampula province to Mozambique Island, was hit by a tidal wave, leading to the tragic accident.
According to state broadcaster TVM and Jaime Neto, secretary of state for Nampula province, the passengers were fleeing a cholera outbreak.
Neto explained to the BBC that due to overcrowding and the boat’s unsuitability for passengers, it sank, resulting in many children among the deceased.