(PatriotSpotlight.org) – Following a boat accident near the coast of Mozambique, 96 people died near Nampula Province, with an additional 12 people reported missing. The accident occurred because the boat carried too many passengers, many of whom wanted to travel to a local island for an upcoming fair or flee Mozambique due to an ongoing disease outbreak. According to Jamie Neto, Nampula Province’s secretary of state, most of the passengers on the vessel got on board due to rumors about a cholera outbreak unfolding in the area.
The ongoing cholera outbreak began sometime in 2023, making international headlines after Mozambique officials reported more than 15,000 instances of people suffering from the disease. Despite the large number of people afflicted with cholera, only 32 people died from the disease. Among the provinces that suffered the most from the outbreak was Nampula Province, where the overcrowded boat sank.
Despite the outbreak’s severity during the latter half of 2023, the province hadn’t reported any instances of cholera in the weeks preceding the event. Neto said that the rumors surrounding the outbreak caused a widespread panic, which resulted in people attempting to flee Nampula Province and find shelter in Lunga, the boat’s intended location.
Cholera remains a common disease throughout the continent of Africa, which Neto claims contributed to the widespread panic preceding the boat tragedy. While discussing the incident, Neto said that his office would investigate the events leading up to the boat tragedy and determine the source of the rumors that contributed to the mass exodus from Nampula Province. Neto mainly spoke about the rumored outbreak and how it contributed to the accident during his statement regarding the tragedy, but he also shared details about the incident and the ongoing investigation.
According to Neto, Mozambique officials are searching for survivors on board the vessel. So far, authorities have rescued 11 people from the boat, but an additional 12 remain unaccounted for. Among the missing people are several children, whom authorities haven’t uncovered yet. Neto said that of the 96 people who died in the incident, three were children. While details surrounding the failed voyage to Lunga remain scarce, sources indicate the boat used was a fishing boat, which could only hold a small number of travelers. Officials claim the boat was well above its capacity during the incident, with more than 100 people on board before the tragedy.
While Momzabique’s officials are searching to find the missing passengers, citizens have already begun hosting funerals for those who died in the tragedy. According to Lunga’s administrator, Silverio Nauaito, who has overseen the funeral process, most of the people who died were women.
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