Eight houses collapsed while six people died on spot in separate incidents following a hail storm that hit parts of the capital city on Friday afternoon, Lusaka District Commissioner Davies Mulenga has confirmed.
And President Edgar Lungu yesterday visited the funeral houses of the people who died on Friday.
Some of the houses which collapsed were in Chilenje Township, John Laing and Chibolya Compounds.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (right) talks to one of the survivors of the Hail Storm in Lusaka’s Chilenje on Saturday,January 9,2015. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY:STATE HOUSE ©2016
When President Lungu visited the families of the bereaved, he advised them to remain strong and pray to God as the tragedy which happened was unquestionable.
He further assured the bereaved families that Government would foot the funeral expenses.
President Lungu also said he was not impressed with the building inspectorate of the Lusaka City Council .
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu inspects the damage caused by Hail Storm along Kafue Road in Lusaka on Saturday,January 9,2015. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY:STATE HOUSE ©2016
Mr. Lungu has wondered what had happened to the practice of issuing certificates to building plans at every stage of construction.
This was after discovering that the brick wall that collapsed and claimed lives during heavy storms do not meet required standards.
And the father of the two children who died on the spot told Journalists that he was very saddened with the death of his children.
Mr Alan Kazemeka said it was unbelievable and shocking that he lost two children at the same time.
He named the deceased as Helen Kazemeka 8, Florence Kazemeka 12 and Dianess Kazemeka 6 who sustained serious injuries.
Mr Kazemeka who is unemployed said he depended on his two children as they were the ones who were running the family’s small business were the family were getting its income from.
He added that the two girls had the daily duty of going to the road side to sell biscuits, sweets and other stuff just to put a meal on the table.
And Mr Mulenga who is also the Chairperson for the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) in Lusaka said in an interview that a 14 year old boy of Chilenje Township died while two others were injured in similar circumstances in which a parameter walls collapsed on them.
ZAMBIA DAILY NATION
Ali Salim Ireri
My condolences to the people of Zambia.