5 Members from one family drown after their boat capsize

FIVE members of the same family, including a one-and-half-year-old baby, have drowned on Lake Kampolombwe in Samfya in Luapula Province after the boat they were travelling in capsized.

And three Zambian fishermen of Mwense have been allegedly abducted by marines of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Luapula Province deputy police commissioner Webby Shula confirmed both incidents in an interview in Mansa yesterday and described them as very unfortunate.

He said that the water accident happened on March 4 and it is believed that the banana boat was overloaded and capsized in bad weather.

“This family, which included a boy aged one-and-half-years old, was using water transport from Chipako village to Semu village in Twingi in Chief Mulakwa’s area,” he said.

Mr Shula named the deceased as Mr Pillious Mwansa and his wife Malians, aged 39 and 37, respectively.

Others are Maurice Mwansa, three, and Chileshe Mwansa, one-and-half-years, and Kalaba, a nephew aged six.

Mr Shula said four bodies, except that of the woman, have been retrieved. Police have continued the search.

On the abducted fishermen, Mr Shula said on March 3, four Zambian fishermen of Mutamina village in Chief Lukwesa’s area had gone fishing on the Luapula River on which the Congolese officials seized them.

He named the fishermen as Mathias Kabaso, Fred Bwalya, Aaron Kambwi and Felix Chola. Chola was later released to go collect K500 as ransom for the release of his colleagues.
He said the abducted fishermen are believed to still be in the custody of the Congolese in Kashobwe district of that country.

Mr Shula said the Zambian government is doing everything possible to have them released and to also secure the release of their five canoes,which were confiscated.