Floods have left more than 200 hundred people homeless in Sinazongwe district.
Maamba Coal Mine Township special disaster Management team said at a meeting in Maamba that 108 houses have collapsed in Maamba alone.
The team that comprised of Maamba coal Mine Management, government officer, the Community, Maamba Zambia Red Cross, and the business community, said the affected people would be sheltered temporarily at Maamba High School.
The team that was chaired by Maamba Mine Acting Mine Manager Coin Siakachoma have promised to solicit for help for the affected people.
In Simankawa village in Chief Mweemba Collins Siankwazi told ZANIS that 62 houses have collapsed and water have swept away people’s fields.
Mr. Siankwazi said the affected areas included Sowoto, Sigombela, Mugonko, and Siapolo.
Abel Mununka a resident in Siansowa Township where there is the biggest crocodile farm in the country said 20 houses have collapsed.
Mr. Mununka said people were starving as they could not go out to buy food and business people are unable to deliver food owing to the impassable roads.
Sinazongwe District Council Vice Chairperson Fisher Zimana said 13 houses and several of them have collapsed in Malima and Bulya malima.
Mr. Zimana said communication problems and impassable roads were hindering people in getting the exact number of houses that have collapsed.
He said the people were also suffering because they have no access to mealie- meal and basic food stuffs.
Maamba Ward Councilor Peter Siavuulwe said heavy rains in the district have affected people’s business of selling goats and trading in various commodities.
He said most of the sub-standard structures including toilets have collapsed resulting into the high demand for shelter and mealie-meal.
He said the water born diseases such as Cholera were also expected any time since most of the toilets have collapsed.
The councillor said government should speed up its assurance of repairing the damaged road to save many lives that were already in danger.
[ZANIS]
