Two bodies suspected to have been on the Tanzanian Vessel MV Mapenza which sank in Lake Malawi last week have been recovered in Rumphi and Karonga respectively.
Authorities in the two districts confirmed the development in separate interviews over the weekend, saying it brings hope of more recoveries.
Spokesperson for Nkhatabay Police, Ignatius Esau, said out of the two only one was identified as Shaban Ashura, a woman from Tanzania.
According to Esau, Ashura’s remains were over the weekend taken to her home country for burial.
“The one at Khondowe was in a decomposed state for anyone to identify. So chiefs ordered for its immediate burial despite resistance from some Tanzanians who asked to exhume the body and send it to their country,” Esau explained.
Esau then disclosed that the 15 divers that the Government of Tanzania had deployed last week for a search mission for the missing vessel and people’s remains came out unsuccessful.
“The divers returned to their country after searching in vain for about two days. The easterly Mwera winds continue to bring various currents on the lake thus raising hope that dead bodies and other materials which were on the boat will continue to come out floating on their own,” said Esau.
Meanwhile, police in Karonga through their public relations officer, Enock Livason, have assured their Nkhatabay counterparts that they will fully cooperate as more bodies are expected to be recovered on the lake’s shores in the district.
“We expect more discoveries, because winds are blowing northwards. We are on the ground ready to act whenever needed,” he said.
Last week senior deputy director at the Marine Department, John Mhango, said government will soon conduct a casualty investigation of the incident once talks with the foreign affairs department are concluded.
Leave a Reply