Africa-Press – Cape verde. Civil Protection has decided to suspend the search for two missing people and objects in Mindelo Bay for two days, following the floods of August 11th. The decision is due to the lack of visibility on the seabed, caused by excessive silt, a spokesperson for the Crisis Office announced today.
Vitória Veríssimo spoke to the press to present an overview of the efforts carried out over the weekend.
“The sea is very silt-laden, and this silt prevents divers from accessing objects. According to the divers, they have up to their forearms covered in silt and are feeling the seabed trying to understand what’s there. This interruption causes a natural cleansing, the clearing of the waters, to see if they can reach any objects,” she explained.
Over the weekend, the team, composed of Coast Guard and American divers, identified the last vehicle reported missing on “Caisim” beach. The vehicle was recovered from the sea on Saturday. During the same operation, a gas grate was also removed from the sea.
Vitória Veríssimo explains that the last point marked with hydrographic equipment corresponded to an organic site, but due to the amount of silt present, it has not yet been possible to reach it.
“It is unknown whether it is human or animal organic matter, because the probe only detects that it is organic matter, but it is at a very high depth of silt, and the divers were unable to reach that point,” she says.
Regarding the displaced families, the official states that the transfer to new homes in the Rosário Housing Complex, in Ribeira de Julião, has already begun. Vitória Veríssimo explains that dignified conditions are being created to accommodate these families.
“The conditions are worthy of any family. The houses will be equipped with the equipment of any home. All houses already have water in the tanks, electricity is being completed, and all families will have decent living conditions in the now-completed houses,” she assures.
Vitória Veríssimo clarifies that cleanup efforts are continuing, as are sewer unblocking efforts.
The Crisis Cabinet will meet again this Tuesday, with the presence of Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Paulo Rocha, to review all work carried out on São Vicente Island since the August 11 disaster, which killed nine people, destroyed infrastructure and roads, and flooded several commercial spaces.
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