Thursday, December 23, 2021

Death toll from Madagascar boat accident rises to 85

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar

The death toll from a boat accident off the coast of Madagascar rose to 85 as bad weather ended the search for five missing passengers, the country’s maritime agency said on Wednesday.

Maritime authorities said 138 people were on the 12-foot-long boat carrying cargo which sank on Monday, adding that only 50 had been rescued.

The dead include five children.

The director of operations at sea at the Maritime and River Port Agency said the ship was not authorized to take passengers and was overloaded.

Initial investigations suggested the vessel’s engine had a “technical problem”, according to the agency.

President Andry Rajoelina announced a national day of mourning for Thursday.

No comments:

Post a Comment