No fewer than 90 people have been confirmed dead after a ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique, local authorities said on Monday morning.
Officials in Nampula province reported that five people were rescued out of the approximately 130 individuals who were believed to have been on board.
They were fleeing a cholera outbreak, Nampula Secretary of State Jaime Neto said. Many children were among the dead, he added.
“Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers it ended up sinking,” Mr Neto.
An unverified video posted on social media which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York reports purported to show dozens of bodies lying on a beach.
The boat was apparently travelling from Lunga to Mozambique Island, off the coast of Nampula, Portuguese broadcaster RTP reported.
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Nampula province has been one of the worst-affected by the cholera outbreak which has spread over several countries in southern Africa since January last year.
According to Unicef, the current outbreak is the worst in 25 years. Since October 2023, Mozambique has reported 13,700 confirmed cases and 30 deaths.
An Islamist insurgency in neighbouring Cabo Delgado province has claimed the lives of at least 4,000 people and displaced nearly one million others since it began over six years ago.
For nearly 400 years, Mozambique Island was the capital of Portuguese East Africa, when the region was under colonial rule. The island is designated a Unesco world heritage site for its colonial architecture and rich history as a trading post.
In another report, Danish armed forces have reported a missile malfunction aboard a naval vessel, prompting the shutdown of airspace and maritime routes surrounding a crucial shipping channel along the Danish coastline.
The National Maritime Authority has issued a cautionary advisory urging vessels to steer clear of a section of the Great Belt strait, citing the potential danger of debris from falling missiles
In light of an ongoing naval exercise initiated in the region last month and scheduled to wrap up by Friday, ships have been urged to anchor if required.
The closure of the zone, as reported by Danish media, may see an end with a potential reopening slated for Thursday evening, according to the latest updates.