Large Mozambique ship sank and killed almost 100 people

A large overcrowded ship named Makeshift ship sank off the north coast of Mozambique which killed at least 94 people. About 26 people have gone missing.

According to authorities, there were around 130 people on the converted fishing ship “Makeshift” when it faced difficulties trying to reach an Island off the coast of Nampula province.

A makeshift ferry sank off the northern coast of Mozambique over the weekend, killing more than 90 people on board, media reports say. https://t.co/y9CHteWU5z
— DW News (@dwnews) April 8, 2024

The secretary of state for Jaime Neto stated the large Mozambique ship sank because it was overcrowded and insufficient to carry passengers. He said a large number of the victims were youngsters.

He stated rescue operation was difficult due to the challenging sea conditions. Rescuers found five survivors and were looking for others. An inquiry team is trying to determine what caused the ship accident. Officials told two of the five survivors were in hospital for medical treatment.

According to Jaime, the majority of passengers were trying to escape the mainland due to fear brought on by false information about cholera disease.

Lourenco Machado is an administrator of the Maritime Transport Institute of Mozambique. He announced the death of at least 94 people and 26 were missing.

At least 94 people died, including children, and 26 are missing after a ferry boat capsized off the northern coast of Mozambique, an official from the country's Maritime Transport Institute said https://t.co/dsf10SEP6D pic.twitter.com/KGME4HN8E7
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 8, 2024

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According to official figures, the nation of Mozambique in southern Africa is among the poorest in the world. It has witnessed nearly 15,000 incidents of waterborne cholera illness and 32 deaths since October 2023.

In a separate incident, one person died on the southern beach of Mozambique last month. He died as an illegal fishing craft collapsed. However, an insurgency caused by terrorists associated with the Islamic State (IS)group has stopped the country’s progress.

Since 2017, more than 5,000 people have died. Almost a million people have been forced to leave their homes due to IS terror activities in Mozambique. A significant number of people have moved to the capital city, Maputo as a result of a series of IS strikes in Cabo Delgado.