Child killed, dozens rescued in Amazon tourist boat sinking

A three-year-old girl is among two people confirmed dead, with seven others still missing, after an overcrowded tourist boat sank just minutes after departing for the Brazilian Amazon.

The vessel went down on Friday, February 13, near the Meeting of the Waters, close to Manaus, where the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões converge but flow side by side without mixing, according to foreign media.

Dramatic video from the scene showed women, men and children struggling in the water wearing life jackets, as nearby boats hurried toward the site to pull survivors to safety.

It sank shortly after setting off, at the point where the two major rivers meet.

Firefighters rescued 71 people. The Amazonas State Health Department confirmed that three-year-old Samila de Souza died after being transported to a nearby children’s hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The second fatality was identified as 22-year-old Lara Bianca. Her body was taken to the fire department’s river patrol unit at the Port of Manaus at approximately 6 pm.

Specialised investigators have launched an inquiry into the sinking, and authorities have established a multi-agency task force to coordinate response efforts.

Meanwhile, support teams — including psychologists and social workers — were deployed to assist families gathered as they await updates about missing relatives.

By Tamilla Hasanova