54 survive rumphi Boat tragedy
By close of business yesterday, search teams had come to the rescue of 54 people initially feared dead in the boat that capsized on Lake Malawi in Rumphi District on Sunday.
Police and hospital authorities yesterday confirmed that the number of people who died from the accident was six and that some of those admitted to hospital had been discharged.
At least 60 people, mostly members of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia, had boarded the 40-passenger capacity boat on their way back home from Easter Sunday prayers, according to eyewitnesses.
The witnesses said the group was returning from Mlowe where they attended the Easter church service heading to their home at Tchalo and other areas along Lake Malawi in Rumphi District, a distance of about 45 kilometres.
Upon arrival at Zunga, according to the community members, the boat—said to have been overloaded—was reportedly hit by a storm that made the operator fail to control it; hence it capsized.
Due to the impact, five people drowned, 33 managed to swim to the shore while others were reported missing.
Community members instantly launched a search for the victims before the Malawi Police Service (MPS) and later Malawi Defence Force (MDF) divers from Chilumba Barracks in Karonga joined in the search.
In their initial efforts, the community members used dugout canoes to help rescue the victims and managed to rescue nine. Out of the nine, five were pronounced dead on arrival at Mlowe Health Centre while another victim died later at the health facility.
Rumphi District Hospital spokesperson Bwanaloli Mwamlima yesterday said the hospital recorded six deaths.
He said five people were brought to the hospital already dead and one died at the hospital while being attended to.
Mwamlima added that 12 were admitted to Mlowe Health Centre, but 10 were later discharged.
He said: “The health centre was overwhelmed and officials engaged health workers from Livingstonia Mission Hospital and Rumphi District Hospital to help manage the situation. So far, 10 have been discharged and two are still in the hospital, but in a stable condition.”
On the other hand, Rumphi Police Station and Rumphi District Council confirmed five deaths by the time we went to press.
Both Rumphi Police station officer James Mpezeni and Rumphi Police Station spokesperson Victor Khamisi said they had recorded five deaths.
According to the police, “over 60 people” were on board of which 54 survived and three others were still missing
Rumphi district commissioner Lusizi Nhlane, who said his office also got reports of five deaths, said there are some community members who are claiming that about 15 people are still missing.
Khamisi said the search managed to rescue 17 who were rushed to the hospital where they are receiving treatment.
People’s Party vice-president Kamlepo Kalua, who is member of Parliament (MP) for Rumphi East where the accident happened, said he suspected that there were over 70 people on board.
Livingstonia Synod general secretary the Reverend Levi Nyondo, who alongside other church leaders visited the victims, was not in a position to grant an interview. n
