Madagascar: 85 Fatalities After a Boat Accident

Maritime officials have reported that the death toll from a sinking boat that went down on Monday has reached 85 fatalities after 21 more bodies were found on Wednesday.

RELATED:

Famine in Madagascar Forces People To Eat Insects and Leaves

On Monday, the 39-foot wooden boat sank in the vicinity of the shore of Madagascar with 138 individuals on board, according to maritime officials. Reporters confirm that three of the passengers remain missing.

Zafisambatra Ravoavy, Police General, reported on Wednesday that 21 bodies had been recovered, reaching a total of 85 deaths, including five children.

According to investigations, the boat was not authorized to transport passengers, given it was a cargo vessel. Adrien Fabrice Ratsimbazafy of the River and Maritime Port Agency (APMF) decreed the boat was pushed onto a reef by waves after a failed engine.

The mayor of Soanierana-Ivongo, Alban Menavolo, stated that the passenger on board were seasonal workers because of the retrieved personal items, which apparently were returning to their home to celebrate the end of the year.

The APMF chief, Jean-Edmond Randrianantenaina, exposed that 20 of the bodies were buried in a makeshift graveyard, waiting to be identified. President Andry Rajoelina announced a grieving national day.