By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES
SALAAM Tanzania
Tanzania’s main opposition party, CHADEMA, has challenged the government’s disaster management and emergency response readiness following deaths of 19 people after a plane plunged into Lake Victoria shortly before it was due to land in the north-west town of Bukoba.
Rescue team hand-pulling the plane with a rope |
The 48-seater twin turboprop ATR42-500 with 39 passengers (38 adults and an infant) and four crew on board was flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba, Kagera Region, when the accident occurred at around 8.53am.
The plane crashed while
attempting to land in stormy weather at the airport, which is less that 200
meters from the lake shore.
Reports showed that 26 people were
rescued by fishermen and taken to a public hospital in the town.
In a condolence statement,
issued Sunday November 6 and signed by CHADEMA’s Director of communication,
protocol and foreign affairs, John Mrema, the party said that the country does
not have reliable disaster response readiness capability.
“We convey our heartfelt sympathy to the families, relatives of victims and all Tanzanians following the tragedy deaths and praying for quick recovery of the survivors.” Read the statement.
“Either, the accident has revealed
that as a nation we don’t have reliable disaster response readiness capability
when they happen, we could not have the big effect we are witnessing.” Mrema
said.
The opposition further acknowledges
the efforts done by local fishermen and citizens from the surrounding area who
managed to rescue the 26 survivors. “We acknowledge the citizens, especially
local fishermen who responded quickly to the accident area and rescued the
passengers with the truth that they didn’t have facilities.”
Despite the existence of
national and international regulatory frameworks, a sole department in the
prime minister’s office to deal with disasters, disasters have been causing
devastating effects across the country.
For two weeks, the country has
been struggling to put off the fire which broke out on Africa’s highest peak
Mouth Kilimanjaro, since 21 October near one of the most popular climbing
routes estimated to be about 3,963 meters above sea level.
The government had to deploy
the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces on Mt. Kilimanjaro to help curb the raging
flames.
On 20 September 2018, over 200
people died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on Lake Victoria.
The Mv. Nyerere operating on a
busy route, crossing eight times a day between the islands of Ukara and Ukerewe,
in Mwanza with capacity of carrying 100 people, had more than 400 passengers
when it capsized according to officials.
In 2012, at least 145 people
died when a packed ferry, Mv. Skagic, sank while transporting people to the
island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.
The year before, almost 200
people died in another major incident off the coast of Zanzibar. Hundreds of passengers
Mv. Spice Islander I survived, some found clinging to mattresses and fridges.
On 21 May 1996, Mv. Bukoba sank
30 nautical miles (56 km) off Mwanza in 25 metres (14 fathoms) of water,
killing up to 1,000 people. The official deaths record is 894.
The lack of equipment and
divers were partially to blame for slowness in the salvage operation; rescue teams
from South Africa, including Navy divers, were flown in to salvage the
ship and retrieve bodies days later.
Other disasters include bombing
of the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam in 1998 left 11 people dead; and the
train crash near Dodoma in 2002 that killed 281 passengers.
A freelance investigative journalist based in Dar es Salaam, Kizito Makoye, said the "Disaster preparedness Unit" in the Prime Minister's office is a disaster in its own right. It should be disbanded with immediate effect.
Tanzania's Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, visiting survived infant and mother at Bukoba hospital, Sunday (courtesy) |
He said that the nation does
not seem to have learnt from past mistakes. “Past disasters should've taught us
valuable lessons in terms of preparedness and rapid response.”
“I feel so sad to learn that
those who perished in the Bukoba aircraft crash waited helplessly for many
hours, frantically clinging for their dear lives, but to no avail.” Makoye said
and further questioned “How many lives should be lost for these …… to act
responsibly, haven't you learnt anything from the Mv. Nyerere tragedy where
hundreds died because of your sheer negligence?”
The discussion has been live
on the social platforms since Sunday with critics blaming the government of
purchasing lavish vehicles for themselves forgetting important services for the
taxpayers.
The pictures of rescue showed citizens hand-pulling the plane with a rope for lack of modern rescue
machineries. - Africa
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