MELI ya MV Spice Islanders iliyopata ajali mwishoni mwa wiki iliyopita na kusababisha vifo vya takriban watu 200 na majeruhi 619 ambao waliokopolewa, ilibeba abiria 3,000 wakati uwezo wake ni kubeba abiria 600 tu.Habari zilizolifikia blog hii jana zimeeleza kuwa idadi hiyo kubwa ya abiria, haijumuishi mizigo ambayo kiasi chake bado hakijajulikana. Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kaskazini Pemba, Dadi Fakhi Dadi alisema jana kuwa mkoa huo umepoteza watu 1,600 katika ajali hiyo, huku Wilaya ya Wete pekee ikiwa imepoteza watu 1,141.Dadi alisema hayo alipokuwa akizungumza mbele ya Makamu wa Kwanza wa Rais wa Zanzibar, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad.
“Wilaya ya Micheweni imepoteza watu 367, huku Wilaya ya Mkoani, Mkoa wa Kusini Pemba ikipoteza watu 27 na Wilaya ya Chakechake imepoteza watu 148,” alisema Dadi na kuongeza:
“Kwa idadi hiyo ikijumlishwa na idadi ya watu 619 waliosalimika katika ajali hiyo na wengine 204 waliotambuliwa na kuzikwa na wengine watano waliookotwa Mombasa, huenda meli ile ilikuwa na watu 3, 000,” alisema Dadi.
Kutokana na takwimu zinazoendelea kukusanywa, hadi sasa zaidi ya watu 2,000 hawajulikani walipo, mbali ya wale 198 walioopolewa na kuzikwa na wengine 619 walionusurika.
Wabunge wa CUF wajiandaa kuishtaki Serikali
Wakati Serikali ikiendelea kukusanya takwimu za waliokufa au kupotea kwenye ajali hiyo, baadhi ya wabunge wa Chama cha Wananchi (CUF), wamekuwa wakizunguka majimboni mwao kufanya tathmini kwa lengo la kuishtaki Serikali.
Mbunge wa Jimbo la Ziwani, Ahmed Juma Ngwali alisema anatafuta idadi kamili ya wananchi wake walioathirika kwa ajali hiyo ili afanye utaratibu wa kuishtaki Serikali kutokana na uzembe uliosababisha ajali hiyo.
“Tukishapata orodha kamili ya wananchi, nakwenda kutafuta orodha ya abiria waliokuwa kwenye meli, nalinganisha. Kwa wale waliokuwa na tiketi, nitasimamia walipwe bima zao na mmiliki wa meli. Wale waliozidi nitaishtaki Serikali kwa kuzembea,” alisema Ngwali.
Ngwali aliyekuwa akizunguka nyumba hadi nyumba kuorodhesha watu hao, alisema kwa kiasi kikubwa, Serikali ndiyo iliyofanya uzembe katika tukio hilo.
“Huu ni uzembe na ni lazima twende mahakamani. Ikiwa samaki wa Magufuli (Waziri wa Ujenzi), hadi leo wanasotesha watu mahakamani, itakuja kuwa watu?” alisema.
Mbunge wa Ole, Rajab Mbarouk alisema anakusudia kupeleka hoja binafsi bungeni ili kumwajibisha Waziri Mkuu, Mizengo Pinda kwa tukio hilo.
“Inaonyesha Serikali haina takwimu sahihi, ndiyo maana sisi tumeamua kufanya tathmini ya kina,” alisema na kuongeza kuwa tathmini hiyo itamsaidia kuratibu misaada anayopata kutoka kwa mashirika mbalimbali kwa ajili ya watu walioathirika katika tukio hilo.
“Kwa mfano sasa Benki ya Watu wa Kenya (KCB) imetoa ahadi ya kusomesha watoto yatima waliofiwa na wazazi katika ajali hiyo. Lazima niwe na takwimu sahihi za kuwapa benki hiyo,” alisema Mbarouk.
Akizungumzia suala la Waziri Mkuu mbunge huyo alisema: “Sisi ni wasemaji wa wananchi siyo Serikali. Nina mpango wa kupeleka hoja binafsi Bungeni ili Waziri Mkuu awajibike.”
Alieleza sababu za kutaka Waziri Mkuu awajibike kuwa ni pamoja na Serikali kupuuza swali lake alilouliza bungeni kuhusu usalama wa vyombo vya majini hadi sasa.
Kazi ya kuwaokoa walizama bado nguvu
Kazi ya uokoaji wa miili ya watu wanaosadikiwa kunasa ndani ya meli hiyo inaonekana kuwa ngumu baada ya wataalamu wa uokoaji kutoka Afrika Kusini kushindwa kuendelea na kazi kutokana na kina kirefu cha maji katika eneo hilo.
Tetesi za kushindikana kwa kazi hiyo zilianza kusikika jana kutoka kwa wavuvi ambao wamekuwa wakifanya kazi zao katika eneo hilo kwa kipindi kirefu huku. Wavuvi hao wanasema eneo hilo lina urefu wa zaidi ya mita 300 kutoka usawa wa bahari.
Mzamiaji kutoka eneo la Nungwi, Karim Abdallah alisema: “Hili eneo tunalifahamu lina kina kirefu sana unaweza kubeba kamba zinazojaza boti na ukifika eneo hilo na kutupa nanga haifiki chini, tulifahamu kwamba wataalamu hao hawawezi kufanya lolote katika eneo hilo.”
Kauli ya wavuvi hao ilionekana kuthibitishwa na Serikali ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar (SMZ) ambayo iliamua kuondoa mahema yaliyokuwa yamewekwa katika fukwe za Nungwi kwa ajili ya kuhifadhi miili ilinayopatikana.
Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Kaskazini Unguja, Pembe Juma alisema wameamua kuanua mahema hayo kwa sababu uwezekano wa kupata miili iliyobaki ni mdogo.
“Tumelazimika kuondoa mahema hayo kwa sababu hali inavyoonekana ni wazi kuwa wataalamu hao wanaweza wakashindwa kupata miili ya watu wanaokisiwa kubaki katika eneo hilo” alisema Juma.
Hata hivyo, alipoulizwa juu ya hali ya waokoaji hao ambao bado wako katika eneo la tukio wakiongozwa na Kikosi cha Maji cha Jeshi la Wananchi wa Tanzania (JWTZ) alisema: “Sina mamlaka ya kuzungumzia mazingira ya wataalamu hao isipokuwa taarifa nilizonazo kwa sasa ndizo hizo nilizowapa.”
Wataalamu hao walitakiwa kuanza kazi hiyo juzi lakini wakashindwa kuendelea na kazi hiyo kwa sababu ya hali ya bahari kuwa mbaya. Hata hivyo, walianza tena kazi hiyo leo ingawa si kwa kuingia baharini kutafuta waliokwama chini ya maji, bali kutafuta maiti zinazoelea katika maeneo mbalimbali ya Tanga, Mombasa, Unguja na Pemba.
Katika hatua nyingine mtu mmoja alinusurika jana baada ya kuwadhihaki hadharani watu waliokumbwa na mkasa huo wa ajali ya meli kwa kudai kwamba walistahili.
Mashuhuda waliokuwapo katika eneo hilo walidai kuwa sekunde chache baada ya kutamka maneno hayo, alivamiwa na watu waliokuwa eneo hilo lakini akafanikiwa kukimbilia katika duka la vitabu la Masomo na hatimaye kuokolewa na Polisi wa Kikosi cha Kutuliza Ghasia (FFU) wakiongozwa na Mkuu wa Polisi Kituo cha Malindi, Haji Mgoro.
Mkurugenzi wa duka hilo, Farouk Karim Karim alisema hatua ya mtu huyo kukimbilia dukani kwake ilihatarisha maisha yake baada ya umati watu kufunga mitaa yote inayozunguka Soko Kuu la Darajani ukimlazimisha kumtoa mtu huyo vinginevyo waingie kumtoa wenyewe.
“Kwa kweli mimi sikufahamu hata walipoanzia. Nilikuwa hapa dukani ghafla nikashtuka mtu anaingia ndani huku akisema nakufa, kabla hata sijamuuliza kilichomsibu umati watu ukawa umeshajazana dukani kwangu ndipo nilipolazimika kufunga mlango na kuwaita polisi,” alisema Karim.
Seif atoa mkono wa pole
Maalim Seif, jana aliongoza ujumbe wa viongozi wa Serikali kutoa pole kwa wafiwa waliopoteza ndugu na jamaa zao. Katika ziara hiyo, alifuatana Mawaziri wasiokuwa na Wizara Maalumu; Haji Faki Shaali na Machano Othman Said, Waziri wa Ustawi wa Jamii na Maendeleo ya Vijana, Wanawake na Watoto, Zainab Omar na Waziri wa Mifugo na Uvuvi, Said Ali Mbarouk.
Akizungumza na ndugu na jamaa wa marehemu hao katika Ukumbi wa Umoja ni Nguvu, Mkoani na baadaye Uwanja wa Gombani katika Mkoa wa Kusini Pemba, Maalim Seif aliwataka wakazi wa Zanzibar, kuvuta subira kwa kuwa msiba huo ni wa taifa zima na ni mipango ya Mungu.
Alisema Serikali inaamini kuwa kulikuwa na uzembe katika tukio hilo ndiyo maana imeamua kuunda tume huru ambayo itafanya uchunguzi wa kina kuhusu suala hilo.Alisema Serikali haitasita kumchukulia hatua mtendaji yeyote atakayebainika kuhusika katika uzembe uliosababisha ajali hiyo.Akiwa Mkoa wa kusini Pemba, Maalim Seif ametoa mkono wa pole na ubani kwa familia zaidi ya 112.
Source: http://www.mwananchi.co.tz/component/content/article/37-tanzania-top-news-story/15443-mv-spice-islanders-ilipakiza-abiria-3000.htm
Takwimu za serikali sasa:
Death toll reaches 240, search continues
The death toll in the Zanzibar marine accident which involved MV Spice Islander boat yesterday rose to 240 people, as more bodies were pulled from the ocean.
The Zanzibar Police Commissioner Mussa Ali Mussa gave the figure here yesterday when briefing the Inspector General of Police Said Mwema on the accident who was accompanied by Tanzania People’s Defence Forces Chief General Davis Mwamunyange.
IGP Mwema said the government has decided to bring in rescuers from abroad to assist in the search for any more bodies trapped in the boat.
Zanzibar government said MV Spice Islander was overloaded before it capsized at Nungwi area in Zanzibar.
Speaking to journalists here yesterday Minister of State, Second Vice President Office Mohammed Aboud Mohammed said that the boat had the capacity of carrying 600 passengers and 500 tonnes of cargoes.
But according to the passenger’s manifest 610 passengers boarded the boat at Zanzibar port while 166 boarded at Dar es Salaam port including 65 children.
He said government has also decided to bury 39 people who were not identified.They were buried at Kama area in Unguja –West district.
He added that the government has also prepared 134 graves at Kama area which will be used to bury people who will not have been identified by their relatives.
He further explained that Maisara Disaster Centre which was established for relatives to identify bodies has been closed and other bodies which will be recovered will be buried immediately, noting that records will be kept for searching relatives.
The government will today hold a special prayer at Maisara grounds for the people who died in the accident and the victims. The prayers will be led by Zanzibar President Dr Ali Mohamed Shein.
He however said that the captain of the ill-fated ship Said Kinyenyeta was yet to be found, but a technician with the vessel Injima Mkune was being questioned by police.
Meanwhile, the National Social Security Fund (NSSSF) has donated 13m/- to help in the rescue mission—out of which, 10m/- would go to the government and 3m/- to support burial activities.
The financial assistance was presented by NSSF Senior Public Relations Officer, Juma Kintu, who said the social security scheme was touched by the impact of the incident on people’s lives.
Zanzibar social security fund has contributed 10m/- which was presented by fund’s public relations officers, Raya Hamdani, while the mobile phone company, TIGO donated food worth 5m/- to the victims.
Minister Aboud said the Union government gave 300million/- to support activities and operations related to the tragic marine accident.
Meanwhile the Director of Zanzibar Port Authority, Mustafa Aboud Jumbe distanced himself from blame, saying the authority was not responsible in overseeing marine transport services (passengers and cargo).
Speaking to our sister newspaper, Nipashe yesterday, Jumbe said “This is the duty of the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), which was established by the law to oversee marine and surface transport sectors.”
Sumatra stopped operations in Zanzibar after Members of the House of Representatives claimed that the authority was operating illegally, as marine transport services was not on the list of Union matters.
Efforts to get director of Zanzibar marine transport, Vuai Haji, did not bear fruit, as his mobile phone was not answered.
In July, this year, Minister of Communications and Transport, Hamad Masoud presented a special report in the House of Representatives, defending marine transport facilities in Zanzibar, saying they did not pose any threat to the lives of travellers.
The minister was responding to the growing public concerns, after seven ships plying Zanzibar developed technical faults.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN