By SYLVESTER MWALE –

A TEAM of marines from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has joined the search for the remaining four bodies of the nine that perished when a boat capsized on Lake Mweru of Luapula Province.
The last body of the four that were retrieved last week, was that of a three-year-old, that was found more than 100 kilometres from the accident scene.
Four bodies have so far been retrieved but prolonged and futile efforts have led to the joining of the search by marines from the DRC.
Other victims of the accident had been identified to be nationals from the neighbouring country.
The boat carrying 12 people capsized on June 21, this year as they were travelling to Nkole Island on the DRC side. The boat was also laden with cassava bags.
Only three people managed to swim to the shore, a man and two women.
Luapula Province Commissioner of Police Hudson Namachila said the Congolese marines joined on Tuesday, this week to widen the search efforts.
He said the search had been hampered by the heavy current on the lake which could have drifted the bodies away from the accident scene.
“There is heavy current at the moment and you can imagine that the last body of a three-year-old was found 110 kilometres away from the accident scene,” Mr Shula said.
Mr Namachila said the lack of boats and inadequate diving kits was forcing the combined team of Zambia Army and Police divers to share what was available, hence limiting search efforts.
“What is happening is that when one officer goes for a search, he comes back when he is tired, he surrenders the vest to another officer who goes in and so on,” he said.