At least 90 dead in shipwreck off the coast of Mozambique

April 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least 91 people have died when a boat carrying more than 130 people and that was destined to fish off the coast of northern Mozambique, in the province of Nampula, capsized this Sunday.

Local authorities have indicated that the ship has left the town of Lunga with the intention of heading to the island of Mozambique, supposedly fleeing a cholera outbreak that is ravaging the region.

In this sense, they have pointed out that the overcrowding has been due to the subsidence. “Normally it is a fishing boat and was not designed to transport people,” said the island's administrator, Silvério Nauaito, in statements reported by the Mozambican news agency AIM.

Nauaito has added that people leave Lunga in a disorderly manner “because there is an epidemic of diarrhea there”, which is why “they went to look for this boat.” Maritime authorities have indicated that the ship was hit by large waves.