At least six people, including two children, died after a boat capsized off the coast of Angola’s capital Luanda, local authorities said Monday, as rescue operations continued.
The boat, which was part of a Catholic maritime procession, was carrying more than 30 people when it sank off the island of Luanda on Saturday, police in the southern African country said, without being able to confirm the cause. of the incident at this stage.
Six people died and 17 others were rescued, provincial police official Hermenio Cazucuto told AFP. Four are hospitalized in critical condition and three others are still missing, he added, specifying that the search continues Monday.
A spokesperson for the fire emergency services, Maina Panzu, told AFP that among the dead were two children aged four and six.
The accident occurred about three kilometers from the coast and Luanda.
The cause of the accident is not known. Mr. Panzu spoke of possible “negligence” by the captain, who was missing.
According to local media Angola24Horas, the boat was overloaded with passengers, the sea was rough and the accident involved another fishing boat.
In a statement on Sunday, Angolan President Joao Lourenco sent his “deepest condolences to the families directly affected by this tragic accident. »
TE/APA with AFP
Senegal
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