The silence in the house where Esther Munyenya and her family have taken refuge is foreboding, punctuated by grief and fear of the unknown.
The mother of two, who is expectant, lies on the couch pale and frail, her lips dry and cracked, with grief written all over her face.
It’s been two weeks since her twelve-year-old daughter was swept away by the heavy rainfall experienced throughout the country.
“My husband left for work around 5.am, before leaving he asked our daughter not to leave the house until the downpour stopped. I asked her to go back to bed and soon after I had a loud bang, and when I checked there was water everywhere. My daughter started hovering around for safety,” she recalled.
The drenching rainwater blew off her house’s wall and swept everything including Esther and her daughter. The mother of two recalls holding on to her daughter.
“I held on to a tree with one hand and the other with my daughter as I tried to figure out a way out, but the water suddenly snatched my daughter from my hands,” she said as the true scale of the recent downpour’s destruction unfolded.
Luckily for Esther, a resident walking nearby heard her screams and sprung into action, rescuing her from the flooded river.
“I just need to find my daughter. I know my child is not alive, if only I could get her body and bury her, I know she is in the water. She was a good child who loved going to church and loved everyone. She did well in School and was obedient,” she said while sobbing.
Daniel Atika told Citizen digital that not knowing the whereabouts of their daughter is a stark reality the family is facing in their darkest hour.
“The loss of our daughter is catastrophic and devastating, life has been hard on us, everything was swept away by the floods, there is nothing left. I haven’t gone to work since, my brother in law has been kind enough to host us since we have no home, no clothing and we have to rely on family and well-wishers,” he said.
As the rain continues to pelt down, the rescue workers wearing their gears continue with their grim search of the body of twelve year old Ashley Atika.
Samuel wangila is in charge of the divers team that was called in to support the rescue team. He notes that they have searched from where the incident happened to Gikomba market.
“The water levels were very high on the day the girl was swept away by the floods, we suspect the body has been washed down the river beyond that point and we are hoping the team over there will inform us once they find the unidentified body,” he said.
