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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

TWO Zambians died while 12 local fishermen are feared dead in separate incidents that occurred on the Zambezi River following a hailstorm that hit Binga last week. 

Chipo Siakanyengo and Trenist Nkobojane Muleya drowned when a canoe which had 16 people on board capsized after it hit a boulder near Mlibizi Camp.

Police confirmed the death of the Zambians but said they have not received a report on the missing fishermen whose rigs sank in the Chibuyu fishing area on Wednesday last week according to sources.

The sources said the fishermen were in four separate rigs when disaster struck on Wednesday night.

Binga District Development Coordinator Mrs Lydia Banda-Ndethi who chairs the District Civil Protection Unit (CPU) and Binga North Member of Parliament Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda confirmed that 12 fishermen were missing.

Both said they were waiting for the outcome of police investigations.

 “We experienced a hailstorm and we are still trying to verify if the given number of missing persons is correct,” said Mrs Banda-Ndethi.

Mr Sibanda said police and other stakeholders were on the ground investigating the incident.

“It’s true that some boats capsized as a result of strong winds and some fishermen are feared dead. We haven’t ascertained the number but reports we received put the figure at 12,” he said.

In an interview, National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the two Zambians that drowned crossed into Zimbabwe for shopping with 14 others and their canoe capsized on their way back home.

“I am not aware of the Chibuyu incident. What we know as police is that we received a report of a drowning incident involving some foreigners and these are Zambians who had crossed for shopping on the Zimbabwean side and on their way back their canoe capsized. Two drowned while 14 others were rescued,” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.

He said one body had since been retrieved. — @ncubeleon