Fire of the Passenger Transport Vessel

Transmarítima reports that a fire occurred today, October 11, at approximately 5:00 AM, aboard the vessel CHAMBO, which provides maritime transport between Metangula, Mozambique, and Mbamba Bay, United Republic of Tanzania.

The incident occurred shortly after the vessel departed from Mbamba Bay, in Tanzanian territorial waters (near the village of Chimati), bound for Metangula, carrying 43 passengers, including crew members.

As soon as the fire was detected, the crew activated the rescue protocol, and all necessary measures were taken. Following this operation, it was possible to evacuate all passengers to the vessels that rushed to the rescue.

Sadly, three passengers lost their lives during the rescue operation, while they were already aboard one of the rescue vessels. The vessel was completely destroyed.

Transmarítima expresses its deepest sorrow for these human losses and extends its most heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, standing in solidarity with all those affected by this tragic event.

In order to clarify the facts, a multi-sectoral technical team was formed to ascertain the causes and circumstances of the fire, as well as to analyze the subsequent events. The conclusions will be communicated in due course, after the completion of the investigation.

Transmarítima reaffirms its commitment to the safety of passenger transport and to transparency in communicating the results of the investigation process, keeping the public informed about relevant developments.

It should be noted that TRANSMARÍTIMA is the public company responsible for ensuring passenger transport in the country, and also establishes, through the ship CHAMBO, connections between Metangula (Mozambique) and Mbamba Bay (Tanzania) and Nkata Bay (Malawi).