Local News

Dead immigrants' burial planned

Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi

THE government is communicating with Ethiopian authorities for burial arrangements of 43 illegal immigrants whose bodies were discovered in Kongwa District on Tuesday.

Home Affairs Minister, Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, said here on Wednesday that the deceased, feared to have died of suffocation, deserved decent burials and the government would ensure the same is done.

Dr Nchimbi said the truck carrying over 127 Ethiopians believed to be on their way to Malawi, entered the country from Kenya border on the North. They were only travelling in the nights while avoiding main roads for fear of being apprehended as they did not have valid travel documents.  The bodies were preserved in Dodoma and Morogoro regional hospitals.

Meanwhile, police have hailed the role of Chitego and Mkoka villagers in Dodoma region in implementing the concept of community policing that resulted in the discovery of 43 foreign nationals found dead after suffocating in a truck.

The Dodoma Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Zelothe Steven, said in a statement on Wednesday that the villagers informed the police immediately after coming across the dead bodies and survivors of the ordeal.

"It was thanks to the courageous efforts of the people of these two villages that we were able to discover the 43 bodies and the capture of 82 others, some in critical condition," he said.

Mr Steven said that district authorities and those of the Central Government were scaling up efforts to ensure that such incidents do not recur.    

Mr Steven said the main concern at the moment is to save lives whereby humanitarian services have been pouring in for the foreign citizens.