MCHINJI (Malawi), April 15 (NNN-XINHUA) — At least five bodies of the 17 people that went missing had been recovered after the boat they were traveling in capsized in the border district of Mchinji in central Malawi, authorities confirmed to the local media.
The boat was transporting 22 people, including 3 children, to the other side of the Lusa River, where they wanted to attend a funeral Wednesday afternoon.
Five people got immediately rescued by the locals while 17 others sank together with the boat, which survivors claim was overloaded more than twice its carrying capacity.
The rescue team of the Marine Department of the Malawi Defense Force was deployed Thursday to conduct a search and rescue operation but as of the fall of evening, only five bodies were recovered from downstream.
The search for the remaining missing people resumed Friday morning, according to police in the district.
The Lusa River is one of the biggest and widest in the district, and crossing over it in most places is done by locally made boats. — NNN-XINHUA
