HELICOPTER TO DELIVER AID TO CUT-OFF COMMUNITIES

MBABANE - The aid of a helicopter has been arranged at Nkwene, where a footbridge was washed away by the heavy rains recently.
Deputy Prime Minister Thuli Dladla visited the area yesterday and assured community leaders that government has sought air assistance to deliver essentials such as food and medicine. The bridge was connecting two communities and either community can’t access services on the other side owing to the situation. The aid of the helicopter comes against the backdrop of a total of four missions having been undertaken by the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and Mercy Air, which was announced by Dladla in her capacity as the Acting Prime Minister, through a statement issued yesterday. In the statement, she revealed that air rescue services have been mobilised to rescue those who are cut-off by flooded rivers, but require access to health services and reconnecting with their families.

footbridge

Dladla was touring the areas that suffered severe damage due to the persistent heavy rains and her first stop was the washed footbridge. The DPM observed that some community members had been trying to cross the flooded Mkhondvo River using the remains of the damaged river and she advised community leaders that they should not allow that to happen because it was a disaster waiting to happen.“Until such time the footbridge is fixed, people should not be allowed to cross. It is too risky to try and cross a flooded river using a damaged bridge,” she said.
National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Chief Executive Officer Victor Mahlalela said the fixing of the bridge would be delayed due to the flooding of the river and they would have to wait until the flow of the water is calm. The DPM then proceeded to inspect the damaged road at kaMjuda, Nhlangano, a few metres from the bus rank. Part of the road was washed off and motorists are now using an alternative road to and from the bus rank. She had a brief light conversation with the construction crew at the site, encouraging them to apply extra effort in helping the situation so that things could go back to normal.

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