Thirty one people who boarded a boat from Nkhata Bay to Usisya, were on Wednesday, rescued from death in Lake Malawi after the boat they were riding in, sank around Chisu area.
According to an eye witness, Merry Mkandawire, said that the development occurred when the boat filled with water, due to excess leakage.
“They (people) were rescued by the surround community. They are all fine as I am talking,” she said.
However, Mkandawire said most of the victim’s luggage was damaged during the accident.
Recently five people died, while 20 are still missing, while 54 survived in the boat incident, which occurred in Rumphi district On Easter Sunday.
In his remarks he made earlier on such incidences, Member of Parliament (MP) for Rumphi east constituency, Kamlepo Kaluwa said boat accidents are due to Malawi Government’s reluctance to construct a tarmac road in the area.
Kaluwa, who is also the interim Vice President for the former ruling Peoples Party (PP), said if the road connecting Mlowe and Msuku within the area, had been constructed, the said Lake Malawi boat accident (on Easter Sunday) would not have occurred.
“I pray that God should grant us the grace to have a road connecting Mlowe, Zunga and Tchalo to Msuku. We could avoid such accidents and deaths. It is a very big project that needs a lot of resources but with God all things are possible,” said Kaluwa.
Kaluwa told the Maravi Post in an exclusive interview, that he has been lobbying for the construction of the said road since he joined Parliament, but to no avail.
Government through the Minister of Finance Dr. Goodall Gondwe said his ministry is doing everything to source fund for the said road.