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Three people are reportedly missing and feared dead after a government boat carrying Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) inputs to Mbabala Island capsized on Lake Bangweulu during a heavy storm.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when three boats transporting farming inputs were struck by strong winds.
Two boats managed to reach the island safely, while the third was overwhelmed by the storm and sank.
Those reported missing are 25-year-old Coxswain Eugène Kaseba, 21-year-old Field Mwansa, and 21-year-old Kapapwa Mushota, all from the same family.
The three are yet to be recovered.
Luapula Province Principal Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Maseko, said in a statement on Wednesday that the sunken boat was carrying beans, urea fertilizer, and white maize seed meant for Mbabala Island farmers, adding that all the inputs were lost.
Luapula Province Permanent Secretary, Prudence Chinama-Kangwa, who visited Chifunabuli District, said she was deeply saddened by the tragedy.
Chinama-Kangwa noted that the government had deployed the Marine Unit and the Provincial Joint Operations Committee (PJOC) to lead retrieval efforts.
Chifunabuli District Commissioner Stanley Mukosa urged communities to avoid travelling on the lake during stormy weather as the rainy season intensifies.
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