. . . search on for missing persons

GOVERNMENT is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all those who succumbed to Cyclone Idai are given decent burials, with those tasked with the mission to rebury the bodies walking for more than 20km to carry out the task.

In an interview yesterday, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Cde July Moyo said some of the bodies had reached Mozambique.

“To our rescue team, we have said to them let us not leave any stone unturned. We have to find these bodies so they are now walking from Copa all the way to Vimba for them to get in contact with Mozambican villagers to find out where some of the bodies are.

“We have said let us intensify our efforts and we are getting the necessary assistance from the uniformed forces. There are places where you see stones and we don’t know where they came from. Where they used to be houses is just stones and we are not talking about small stones, but those stones which you and I cannot lift,” he said.

Minister Moyo said they were now checking with line ministries and traditional leaderships in the affected areas to account for the missing persons.

“The data on the number of deaths is to be finalised. We have given the teams a directive to check with the traditional leadership and ministries of Health, Education and Agriculture which had people at work in the affected areas for us to find out on the actual number of people missing. For those who are missing we don’t have a comprehensive picture such that we can affirmatively say these are the number of people who have died,” said Minister Moyo.

He said they were now opening a new road to Chimanimani to facilitate the rescue and burial mission as the old road remains impassable.