Over 90 dead as ferry sinks off Mozambican coast

By Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - More than 90 people lost their lives while five others were rescued on Sunday after a ferry carrying nearly 130 people sank off Mozambique’s northern coast.

Reports gathered so far showed that the victims were fleeing a cholera outbreak.

James Neto, the secretary of state for Mozambique’s Nampula Province where the accident happened, pinned the blame for the accident on overloading.

“The boat was overcrowded and unsuitable for carrying passengers, leading to its sinking,” Neto said.

According to Neto, many of the deceased were children.

The ferry was traveling from Lunga in Nampula province heading to Mozambique Island which lies off the Nampula coast.

Videos on social media show several bodies lying on a beach.

Investigations are in progress to determine the cause of the tragedy.