COVID KILLED ETHIOPIAN SURVIVOR

By NATION REPORTER

COVID claimed the life of the lone Ethiopian survivor who was admitted at Maina Soko Medical Centre in Lusaka.

According to Immigration sources, the man had shown tremendous improvement to an extent that he was transferred from the intensive unit to a normal ward.

“He was doing very well until then,” the Immigration sources revealed.

The man, believed to have been part of a group of illegal immigrants that was being transported to South Africa inside a container recovered from the trauma he suffered after he was dumped with the other 27 Ethiopia nationals and was even moved from the intensive care ward to an ordinary one awaiting discharge.

But his health suddenly deteriorated and within days, he was failing to breathe and unexpectedly died.

“And tests conducted after he died revealed that he had Covid-19 which has not been explained,” the sources said.

Last week, police said the man who was found gasping for breath from the 27 unexplained dead Ethiopians who were dumped in Meanwood Khosi along Chaminuka road in Lusaka was unstable.

Police Deputy Spokesperson Danny Mwale said the man had not gained consciousness and the doctors from the University Teaching Hospital where he was receiving treatment advised that he needed more time.

But according to sources, the man lost the battle yesterday, bringing the death toll from the truck dump to 28.

On December 11, 2022 residents in Lusaka’s Ngwerere area found the bodies of the dead Ethiopians around 06:00 hours.

Police officers were alerted and quickly rushed to the scene where they found one gasping for life.

He was rushed to the hospital by a concerned member of the public where he was receiving medical attention.

According to police, preliminary investigations indicate that 28 persons, all males aged between 20 and 38, were dumped in Meanwood Nkhosi along Chiminuka Road in Ngwerere area by unidentified people.

Out of the 28 persons, one was found gasping for life. They are all believed to be Ethiopian nationals.

And police have arrested some suspects in the case relating to the deaths.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu said police had also identified that a tipper truck was used to ferry and dump the bodies.

Giving a ministerial statement in the National Assembly recently, Mr. Mwiimbu said preliminary investigations so far indicate that the victims were all males aged between 20 and 40 and were dumped by unknown people suspected to be human traffickers or smugglers.

He however stated that investigations are being conducted to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book and to establish the countries where the victims may have come from.

The minister said all the 27 bodies were deposited in the University Teaching Hospital mortuary awaiting possible formal identification and postmortem.

Mr. Mwiimbu said the survivor was in a medical facility where he was receiving medical attention.

He stated that suspected cases of human trafficking and smuggling are on the increase in the country.