More deaths reported in Mtwara mayhem

By DEVOTA MWACHANG`A.

More deaths were reported yesterday as the Mtwara mayhem against the construction of a gas pipeline from to Dar es Salaam entered day two and police and defence forces were working round the clock to put the situation back to normalcy.

Mtwara Regional Hospital (Ligula) Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Mohamed Kodi told The Guardian that the hospital received one more body of a dead person and several people with injuries.

Reports from the social media said there were more deaths reported as of yesterday, but Mtwara Regional Police Commander Linus Sinzumwa declined to comment on this, only dismissing the reports as false and misleading.

“We have been very busy since this afternoon … we’ve been receiving many casualties … unfortunately, I can’t give out the exactly figure of the wounded. I think we will be in a situation to give out the figure after the situation has calmed,” Dr Kodi said.

The social media informed that most people especially women and children were rushing to the regional hospital to take refuge as they believed that it was the only safe place for them to run to.

Reports obtained from Mtwara yesterday evening said people who went to hide in bush for their safety started to come out with the situation coming back to normalcy.

Some residents blaming police officers for catalyzing the Wednesday chaos alleged that they were also involved in the burning of civilian houses.

They said by yesterday there was neither a petrol station which was operating nor an operating bus posing more difficulties to people’ mobility.

The available little fuel was selling at very exorbitant prices, they said.

Meanwhile Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) spokesperson Lt Col Kapambala Mgawe confirmed that only three soldiers out of those involved in the accident were physically fit and will now join their colleagues in Mtwara Municipality.

He said TPDF has no plans to dispatch more soldiers to the region, but instead it will use its force in Mtwara to support the police.

“We’ve no plans to send more soldiers to replace those who failed to make to the incident due to the injuries they incurred. So the injured, now recovered soldiers will join their fellows in Mtwara to reinforce the police,” he said. 

Lt Col Mgawe said that at least six soldiers who survived in the accident which occurred on Wednesday while on the way to Mtwara from Nachingwea were doing well but were still admitted at Nachingwea and Ndanda hospitals. He said at least 14 others who sustained minor injuries received treatment at nearby dispensaries and were discharged.

“The soldiers admitted at Nachingwea Hospital are Cpl Samuel Mashauri and Private Halali Mazoea. While the four soldiers still admitted at Ndanda Hospital are Cpl Barnaba Mohamend, Cpl Masawila Hamis, Cpl Patrick Makogwa and Private Mtipula Hamdani,” he said.

The mayhem erupted in Mtwara Municipality on Wednesday after people protesting the government’s plan to construct a gas pipeline from the region to Dar es Salaam clashed with the anti-riot police.

Sources said the ensuing running battles left several people dead and many others injured, while scores were arrested and remanded. 

Medical reports confirmed on Wednesday that at least one person died and several were hurt, some seriously. It was reported that property whose value was not immediately established was destroyed, some by being set on fire. 

Four soldiers with the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces were meanwhile confirmed killed in a road accident while on their way to Mtwara from Nachingwea to give support to police deployed to contain the chaos, according to Army spokesperson Lt Col Kapambala Mgawe. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN: http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=55064