National swimming trainer killed, 10 injured in wall collapse: Mozambique

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National swimming trainer killed, 10 injured in wall collapse: Mozambique

6:24 CAT | 22 Feb 2016

The trainer of Mozambique’s national swimming team, Frederico dos Santos, died on Saturday night, when the wall surrounding the Olympic swimming pool in the outer Maputo suburb of Zimpeto collapsed on top of his car.

Ten other people, according to a hospital source cited by Radio Mozambique, were injured in the collapse, including the wife and son of dos Santos, and members of the Mozambican swimming team.

Several other vehicles were also damaged. The accident occurred when participants in the summer 2016 swimming championship were preparing to go home.

The government immediately set up a commission of inquiry to ascertain the causes of the collapse. The Olympic swimming pool was built in 2011 for the African Games held in Maputo. The Minister of Youth and Sport Alberto Nkutumula told reporters he found it strange that a structure built less than five years ago should collapse, while other, much older buildings remained standing.

The Commission has been told to announce its results by Friday. Nkutumula promised that anyone found responsible for the collapse will answer for the human and material losses.

Saturday was an extremely hot day in Maputo, with temperatures climbing to over 44 degrees. The scorching afternoon was following in the evening by high winds and rain in and around the capital.

The worst damage from the winds was done, not in Zimpeto, but in Boane district, just outside Maputo, where four people were killed. One of these victims was electrocuted while the other four died when their houses collapsed on top of them. A further 39 people were injured in the storm.

Source: AIM