Ndirande vendors lead search of missing flood victims

Vendors plying their trade in Ndirande main market of commercial city Blantyre on Tuesday morning temporarily suspended their normal business and led the search for the missing two bodies of the residents who were washed away by heavy rains on Monday.

The heavy rains washed away several houses, properties and three people along Nasolo River in the highly densely population of the commercial city Blantyre.

Nyasa Times has established that a 64 year old man and two children of fifteen and three years old were washed away.

Speaking to Nyasa Times, Chairperson of Ndirande Main Market Vendors, Chancy Widoni, said they decided to suspend the business because they are equally affected by the accident.

“We cannot carry the normal business today while our fellow friends are grieving and their beloved ones are still missing,” Widoni told Nyasa Times.

Widoni said his crew will carry out the exercise till they find the missing bodies.

“We have started searching from the hill side of Ndirande through Nasolo down to Mudi up to Likhubula Rivers but we are yet to find them,” Widoni said.

Widoni however lamented that the exercise is facing a number of challenges as they are lacking adequate materials.

“The exercise is so tough as you can see that people are failing to remove these heavy blocks so I am appealing to authorities to bring heavy machines in support of what these guys are doing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Blantyre police Public Relation officer, Elizabeth Divala, has confirmed that so far two bodies are still missing and that police in corroboration with the community are still searching the bodies.

“So far we have recovered one body of Esther Mziza 14 of Mwambang’ombe Village Traditional Authority Malamia in Zomba District,” Divala said.

Divala said the missing bodies are of Synet Mziza of 64 years of Mwambang’ombe Village Traditional Authority Malemia in Zomba and Fatima Enock of 3 years old of Mthiramanja Village Traditional Authority Chikumbu in Mulanje district.

Divala has also appealed to the community to look after their children especially in the rainy season.

“I am appealing to the members of the general public that they should avoid constructing houses along the rivers and flood-prone areas to avoid a repeat of such accidents. Parents should also take precautionary measures and look after their children as we are fast approaching the rainy season,” she said.

Since the rain started this year many people have lost their lives and several properties have been damaged.

President’ sympathy

Meanwhile, President Peter Mutharika has thanked all religious leaders and the entire nation for taking time to pray for the rains following his appeal for prayers made a few weeks ago.

Mutharika said in a statement on Tuesday that he is “pleased” that most parts of the country have started receiving rains and sees this as “reason enough to thank God for hearing our prayers.”

The President  also extended  his “sympathy” to fellow Malawians whose homes have been destroyed by the rains, saying government will provide assistance to such families.

Malawi has experienced a late return of rains this year.

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