The death toll from a make shift ferry boat that capsized off the northern coast of Mozambique on Sunday has climbed to nearly 100. Mozambique’s Maritime Transport Institute (INTRASMAR) on Mionday gave the latest count saying the overloaded fishing boat was not licensed to transport people. **
Manuel Loforte, from Mozambique’s Maritime Institute, said that the initial death toll of 91 rose to 96 after they recovered three more bodies late on Sunday and another two on Monday.
“As a consequence we see a shipwreck, which resulted in 91 deaths reported yesterday, and at around 23 hrs (11pm local time), we found another three bodies, totalling 94, and this morning we found two more bodies.”
The deaths included children and have at least 26 persons still missing according to local media. There were 130 people on the ferry and eleven had been hospitalised according to the administrator of the Island of Mozambique, told state-run Radio Mozambique.
“My sister lost her life. Yes, she was with the granddaughter, there were three family members on the boat and two lost their lives” said Momade Raisse, a victim’s brother.
Some people had been traveling to attend a fair while others were trying to “flee from Lunga to the Island of Mozambique for fear of being contaminated by cholera, which has affected that region in recent days,” the online outlet reported.
“I lost my brother’s children, of my second mother (step-mother). Because of this sinking of the ferry there in Quissanga, which was leaving Lunga, to come here, because of cholera” said Amade Juma, a victim’s uncle.
Other news reports quoted Jaime Neto, the secretary of state in Nampula province, as saying misinformation about an alleged cholera outbreak caused panic and had people board the boat, which ordinarily serves as a fishing vessel, to flee the area.
Authorities in Mozambique and neighbouring southern African countries have been trying to contain a deadly cholera outbreak that spread in recent months.
Many areas of Mozambique are only accessible by boats, which are often overcrowded.
