An overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, claiming the lives of more than 90 people.
Mozambique Maritime Transport Institute officials stated on Sunday April 7, 2024, that the converted fishing boat, carrying approximately 130 people, encountered trouble as it attempted to reach an island off Nampula province.
“Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuitable for passengers, it ended up sinking,” Jaime Neto, Nampula’s secretary of state told BBC.
He confirmed that 91 individuals lost their lives, with many children among the victims.
According to officials in Nampula province, five people had been rescued out of the 130 believed to have been on board the vessel, which was in route from Lunga to Mozambique Island, located off the shores of Nampula.
“Most passengers were trying to escape the mainland because of a panic caused by disinformation about cholera,” Neto added.
Nampula province has been severely impacted by the cholera outbreak, which has spread across multiple countries in southern Africa since January of the previous year.
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Mozambique Cholera Outbreak
According to UNICEF, the current outbreak is the worst in 25 years. Since October 2023, Mozambique has reported 13,700 confirmed cases and 30 deaths.
The outbreak has a very large geographical spread, with 30 districts in seven provinces currently affected.
“The key drivers are long-term poor water sanitation and hygiene conditions, exacerbated by changing weather patterns, climate change leading to floods and droughts, end-of-year festivities, inadequate community sensitization [and] late care-seeking behavior for those that are affected,” Dr Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for UNICEF said.
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According to UNICEF, the trends were expected to increase during the rainy season, with a peak expected in February/March.
In recent months, the province has also received a large influx of people fleeing a wave of jihadist attacks in its northern neighbor of Cabo Delgado.
Militants linked to the Islamic State group have waged an insurgency since 2017, which has stalled progress.
Since the onset of the fighting, more than 4,000 people have been killed, and nearly a million have been forced to flee their homes.
