Five people have drowned in Shire River in Nsanje District after the canoe they were sailing in capsized, police say.
This comes barely four months after a similar incident happened at Chitsa dock around Phokera under Traditional Authority Mbenje.
Speaking to MIJ Online, Nsanje Police Station spokesperson, Agnes Zalakoma said the incident happened at Chingwe Dock in Lundu village in the area of Senior Chief Malemia in the district where people were coming from Mozambique where they went to harvest sweet potatoes.
Zalakoma said: “People from Lundu and Chingwe villages crossed the Shire River using a canoe which was operated by Mabvuto Billy, 22 from Lundu village in the area to harvest sweet potatoes on the other side of Shire River and sixteen people on board. On their way back from the field the canoe capsized and all the passengers on board drowned. On lookers tried their best and rescued about eleven people but currently five people have been identified to be feared dead as searching by community members and police officers has been instituted to trace those people who are missing.”
On his part, Senior Chief Malemia described the incident as the great loss to, the district and the country at large.
Member of Parliament for Nsanje South West Constituency, Eurita Mtiza Valeta has asked government to either support them with two engine boats or to construct a bridge so that people can travel safe to their respective farms in Mozambique where they cultivate annually.