A ferry collapsed off the north coast of Mozambique, killing around 90 people, according to the BBC, which was reported by local officials. Among those approximately 130 people who were believed to be on board, five were saved according to Reuters.
According to Jaime Neto, the secretary of state for the province of Nampula, which is close to the incident's location, they were escaping a cholera epidemic, the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) said on Sunday.
"Because the boat was overcrowded and unsuited to carry passengers, it ended up sinking," he said, adding that many children were among the dead.
Videos showing several dead laying on a beach and some individuals carrying children's bodies were shared on social media. These videos were not immediately verified by Reuters.
According to AFP, which was cited by The Guardian, Neto stated that investigators were trying to determine what caused the boat accident.
According to the report, two out of the five survivors were undergoing medical treatment.
Requests for comment from Reuters were not immediately answered by government officials.
It was reported by the BBC that the boat was travelling from the province's Lunga to the island of Mozambique off the coast of Nampula.
