More than ninety people have been killed in a shipwreck off the coast of Mozambique. The fishing boat converted into a ferry was overloaded with about 130 passengers on board, local authorities said on Sunday. Apparently people wanted to flee a cholera outbreak.
“The boat sank because it was overloaded and not suitable to carry passengers,” said Jaime Neto, secretary of North Nampula province.
Many children among the dead
He initially spoke of 91 deaths. There are many children among them. Five people have been rescued so far. The search for survivors continues despite adverse conditions. Most passengers wanted to leave the mainland because of misinformation about the cholera epidemic, Neto said.
15,000 cases of cholera since October
Nearly 15,000 cases of cholera and 32 deaths have been recorded in the South African state, one of the world’s poorest countries, since October, according to the government. Nampula is the worst affected region, accounting for a third of all cases.
Cholera is transmitted, among other things, through contaminated drinking water and, if not treated, can quickly lead to death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease has been on the rise again since 2021.
Source: Krone
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