Luanda - Four people died in the sinking of a boat, which occurred on Saturday, on Luanda Island, locally known as “Ilha do Cabo”, during an activity promoted by the Catholic Church, the provincial commander of the Civil Protection and Fire Service Hermínio Cazucuto said Sunday.
Seventeen of the approximately 30 occupants of the vessel were rescued by rescuers and sent for medical care.
A boat, which was not foreseen in the organization of the procession of the Parish of Our Lady of the Island, entered the maritime procession and, with some maneuvers and wrong behavior, ended up sinking with close to 30 individuals on board.
According to the fire commissioner, the 17 people were rescued by a multisectoral force, composed of personnel from the Civil Protection and Fire Service, the National Police, the Angolan Navy, the Captaincy of Luanda and INEMA.
'There was a rescue of 17 individuals who were sent to the Endiama Clinic. Of these, four died, two adults and two children,' the person in charge who accompanies the search and rescue work explained. Of the remaining 13 rescued, four remain under medical observation.
According to Hermínio Casaputo, at the time, some boats went to the aid of the people who were being transported from the boat that sank.
'Some people were rescued by the boats that were around at the time of the shipwreck and, without the need for medical intervention, they were immediately welcomed by their families.
These we cannot count', argued the commissioner when asked about possible disappearances in the accident.
He added that 'so far, we have not had any complaints or declarations of disappearance of any family member, since, in principle, most of the occupants were all from the same family nucleus, from the family of the master of the ship, the driver of the ship.
The ladies who died were her mother, daughter and even her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.'
Hermínio Casaputo revealed that the searches continue for possible rescues, but 'of course we have every faith that the number of victims will not rise'.
The vessel has a net and there is a probability of having people trapped in it. CPM/OHA/DOJ
