The rain that fell in the
early hours of last Friday, January 25, destroyed the bridge over the Nachiropa
River in the Nacala-a-Velha district, cutting off communication between the
districts of Memba, Nacala-a-Velha, and Nacala-Porto, in Nampula province in
northern of Mozambique.
In this context, passenger
transporters traveling to the Memba district are making extra efforts using the
road through the Mueria area, a route that endangers the lives of vehicle
occupants as well as the vehicles themselves, due to the poor condition of the
road.
At the location where the
incident occurred, we found several people trying to cross the destroyed bridge
over the Nachiropa River. Some locals have made this a source of income,
helping others cross by carrying motorcycles and bicycles, charging fees
ranging from 100MT to 150MT.
"We are here trying to
cross to the other side, but it’s not easy due to the destruction of this
bridge. It happens almost every year that this bridge gets destroyed. The
Nacala-a-Velha government has already forgotten the day they repaired it here.
I am heading to the Coutinho area, where I have a sick relative," said
Francisco Atanásio.
"Mr. Amisse Antinane, a charcoal seller who also didn’t escape the situation, said: I was charged 100MT and they helped me cross with my bicycle over this river. It’s always like this here when there’s heavy rain. This also happened last year. It’s the local population that usually comes to fix the bridge, putting sand in sacks so that at least we can pass, but it’s dangerous for us," he added.
It is worth noting that the
bridge over the Nachiropa River is not the first time it has been swept away by
the force of the waters. In fact, in January 2024, the bridge suffered the same
fate, and no authorities have spoken out to resolve the issue. (Gabriel Cassimo)
0 Comments