Mozambique: at least 90 dead in ferry sinking

A makeshift ferry sank off Mozambique's northern coast on Sunday, killing more than 90 people, including children, local media reported.

The overloaded boat was carrying 130 people and most of the drowned victims were children, according to TV Diário Nampula, a local online media outlet. The boat was operating between Lunga and the island of Mozambique in Nampula province in the north of the country when it capsized, according to witnesses.

Rescue operations continued on Monday, with people still missing.

Some people were traveling to attend a fair while others were trying to "flee from Lunga to the island of Mozambique for fear of being contaminated by cholera, which has affected this region in recent days", reported TV Diario Nampula.

Other reports cited Jaime Neto, the secretary of state for Nampula province, who said misinformation about a suspected cholera outbreak caused panic and boarded the boat, which usually serves as a fishing boat, in an attempt to escape.

In recent months, Mozambique and neighboring southern African countries Zimbabwe and Malawi have been hit by a deadly cholera outbreak that authorities are working to contain.

Many areas of Mozambique are only accessible by boat, which is often overcrowded. The country has a poor road network and some areas are inaccessible by land or air.