Landslide kills 16 people in western Madagascar

Published November 14th, 2024 - 09:47 GMT
Madagascar
A general view of toilets submerged by water in the district of Belle Souvenir in Sambava on January 21, 2023, flooded by the rise of water following the passage of cyclone Cheneso on January 19, 2023. (Photo by ELIE SERGIO / AFP)

At least 16 people were killed when a boat they were traveling in on a river in western Madagascar was hit by a landslide, authorities said Wednesday.

The accident on the Tsiribihina River occurred Tuesday night, according to the Madagascan Maritime, Port and River Agency.

The boat, with 26 passengers on board, stopped at a port around midnight, when a landslide hit the area, killing 16 people instantly, the agency said in a statement.

Ten passengers were rescued unharmed.

The boat was traveling between Belo sur Tsiribihina and Ankalalaobe, two towns in the Menabe region.

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