A devastating landslide along the Tsiribihina River in western Madagascar resulted in the deaths of 16 people after a section of the riverbank collapsed onto a passenger boat.

The tragic incident occurred late Tuesday night in the Menabe region.

The passenger boat, carrying 26 people, had stopped near Belo-sur-Tsiribihina, a village approximately 320 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo.

PHOTO | COURTESY Rescue workers

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According to local police and reports from L'Express de Madagascar, the vessel had docked to allow passengers to take a break when a large portion of the embankment suddenly broke off and crushed the boat.

"Out of the 26 passengers, 16 lost their lives," police confirmed.

Among the victims were two children, a nine-year-old and an infant just five months old. Heartbreakingly, four members of the same family were among those killed, and they had been transporting two coffins at the time of the accident, as reported by local media.

Emergency responders and authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.