Rescuers searched off the northern coast of Mozambique on Monday after a makeshift ferry boat carrying people fleeing a cholera outbreak capsized, killing at least 97.
The converted fishing boat, with about 130 people on board, ran into trouble late on Sunday as it headed for an island off Nampula province, officials said.
Most of those on board were trying to escape the mainland after misinformation about cholera caused a panic, according to Nampula’s secretary of state Jaime Neto.
Many children were among the victims, he added.
On Sunday, authorities said the boat was believed to have sunk as it was overcrowded and unsuited to carrying passengers.
It was later clarified that the vessel capsized after taking on water.
“Water filled the boat… and the tragedy happened,” Menque Amade, a crew member who survived the accident, told national broadcaster TVM.
Silverio Nauaito,…
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