World

At Least 64 Dead After Boat Crashes In Ocean. Search Helicopter Crashes Too, Leaving Top Minister To Swim For 12 Hours

(Photo by JOHAN NILSSON/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images)

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Harry Wilmerding Contributor
Font Size:

At least 64 people have died in a boat crash off the northeastern coast of Madagascar, and searches were performed for additional 24 passengers, Reuters reported.

The vessel carrying 138 passengers sank late Monday night, and 54 survived the crash, the Maritime and River Port Agency (APMF) said, according to Reuters.

The boat, a cargo ship that was not authorized to carry passengers, became overloaded, and water filled the engine, said Mamy Randrianavony, the APMF’s director of operations at sea, according to Reuters. (RELATED: Woman Found Dead After Boat Bursts Into Flames In Italian Marina)

A search helicopter carrying the leader of Madagascar’s national police, Serge Gellé, crashed at sea Monday, CNN reported. Gellé was found alive Tuesday morning after spending almost 12 hours swimming at sea.

Gellé was accompanying Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and the Minister of National Defence General Léon Richard Rakotonirina, who were traveling in a separate helicopter to oversee the search operations for the crashed boat, according to CNN.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.