Part of Manyinga cut off

MUKUNDWIJI-CHITAMPALIVA Bridge along Chitebe road in Manyinga district has been washed away by heavy rain.

As a result, Mpangwa and Chitampalova and surrounding areas have completely been cut off from the rest of the district. Area councillor, Richard Muyelu, confirmed the development in an interview with the Daily Nation yesterday.

The councillor said the bridge which is about 30 kilometres from the Central Business District (CBD) has been washed away, thereby making the areas unreachable. Mr Muyelu said the people in the affected areas were risking their lives because they were now forced to swim across the river to access other areas.

“As you may be aware that most of the rivers here are infested with crocodiles, so people’s lives are at risk,” he said. He called on relevant authorities to come to the aid of the people byreconstructing the bridge.

Meanwhile, Manyinga acting District Commissioner

(DC), Kenneth Chinyama, who inspected the bridge, described the situation as sad.

Mr Chinyama said the damaged bridge was of great concern to the district administration in that it serviced the people in the affected areas.

“But let me assure the people in the affected areas that an urgent report on the extent of the damaged bridge will be submitted to the Provincial

Disaster Management and

Mitigation Unit for action for possible repairing,” he said.

The DC recommended that apart from rehabilitating the collapsed bridge, a banana boat should be procured for the local people.