SYDNEY MUBAIWA
BANGALA- Three people, including a woman and two men are stranded on an island along Mutirikwi River downstream of Bangala Dam after their makeshift canoe capsized.
Civil Protection Unit (CPU) director Nathan Nkomo confirmed the development in a telephone interview with The Midweek Watch. He said the group was attempting to cross from Zaka to Renco when the incident occurred yesterday.
“I can confirm receiving a report where three people are currently marooned at an island in Mutirikwi River after their tree bark canoe capsized.
“The group including a woman and two men are holding on to tree branches and we are afraid that the woman may get tired and fall into the flooded river. We are praying that we don’t record fatalities in this situation.
“We have activated our disaster management systems from national to district level and equipped our rescue teams to work on such developments and as we speak, a team from the Airforce of Zimbabwe (Harare) is on its way to rescue the three while a team from Gweru has been deployed to rescue four people who are marooned in Gandavaroyi in Gokwe,” Nkomo said.
