15 year old Chifunabuli girl killed by a crocodile
The incident happened around 14: 00 hours.
Confirming the incident to ZANIS in the district, Chishi Ward Councillor, Kennedy Makumba identified the deceased as Martha Mwansa, a grade seven pupil at Katibi Primary School on the island.
“I can confirm that a 15year old girl in my ward identified as Martha Mwansa, a grade seven pupil at Katibi Primary School was yesterday attacked and at killed by a crocodile,” he said.
Mr Makumba said the girl was in the company of about five friends swimming in Lake Bangweulu when they noticed her absence and saw the crocodile lift her up and take her under water.
“The deceased was swimming in Lake Bangweulu in the company of about five other friends when they noticed her absence and then saw a crocodile at a distance lift her up and took her under water and that was the last time she was seen,” he explained.
District Disaster Management and Mitigation Officer
Lawrence Jaliso said the search for the body is underway.
“The search for the body is underway and the Satellite Disaster Management Committee on the island together with the Ward Councillor and Community Police have been put on alert to monitor any development with regards to the unfortunate incident,” he said.
Mr Jaliso, however, noted that there is inadequate rescue equipment in the district as efforts to retrieve the body are being conducted by locals using canoes and no life jackets.
“As a district, we have inadequate rescue equipment and efforts to find the victim are being conducted by locals using canoes and the team have no life jackets,” he narrated.
He said the family has asked for help with a coffin in the event that the body is retrieved.
Council Public Relations Officer, Mary Muponda, says the first phase of the project has been awarded to Saro Limited through the local authority’s locally sourced money amounting to over 830, Thousand Kwacha.
Ms Muponda explained to ZANIS in an interview that the first phase is expected to start from the Kalomo new bus station up to Rubis filling station in town, while the second phase will continue from that point to Kalomo Urban Clinic under Word bank funding.
She added that the third phase along the same road, which is the major tarmac road in Kalomo, would also be continued up to Villa View leisure park along the Kalomo -Livingstone Road under the 2024 funding.
“This initiative marks the introduction of solar- powered street lights in Kalomo town, a first for the district. The chosen stretch for the initial phase of the project will run from the new bus station to Rubis filling station,” read part of the memo from the council.
The development follows concerns by Kalomo residents over lack of development in the township, despite the district being the first capital town of the country from 1905 to 1907.
Of late, some residents have taken to a social media platform ‘Kalomo District Development Fora’ to air their development concerns, putting the blame on the local leadership for lack of political will to develop the area.