Abantu abangamashumi amane anesibini basweleke ngempelaveki ePortugal xa izikhukula kunye nokudilika komhlaba kwatyhutyha iidolophana ezikwiinduli nakwiidolophu eziselunxwemeni kwisiqithi saseMadeira. Namhlanje abasemagunyeni bazama ukulungisa imisele yamanzi kunye nokucoca inkunkuma. Amaqela ohlangulo asebenzise izinja ezinukayo ukukhangela abantu abane abangekafumaneki.
Abasebenzi kwikomkhulu, iFunchal, bampompa amanzi kudederhu lweevenkile kwindawo yokupaka engaphantsi komhlaba, apho boyika ukuba bangafumana imizimba engakumbi. Amanqanaba amabini eqashiso antywiliselwe emanzini ngoMgqibelo, xa imvula yenyanga eqhelekileyo yagalela ngeeyure ezisibhozo nje.
Isitrato esikufuphi sasizele ziimoto ezizaliswe ngumhlaba kunye noluhlu lweencwadi ezazisetyenziswa njengamatye okuchaphaza eludakeni. U-Anais Fernandes, unobhala wevenkile, uchaze ukubona amanzi ekhupha ibhulorho.
“Abantu babewela, kwaye waqala ukuva izikhalo,” uxelele i-Associated Press Television News. “Wonke umntu wayebaleka kunye. Yayimbi kakhulu.”
Amaqela ohlangulo akhupha iimoto kwiziduli zodaka ukuze abone ukuba akukho mntu na ngaphakathi. Izinja ezinukayo zigubungele inkunkuma evale izitrato. Abasebenzi bexesha likaxakeka basebenzise iibhuldoza kunye nezilayishi ngaphambili ukususa iitoni zodaka olunekeyiki, amatye kunye nemithi enqunyulweyo kwimisele nemilambo, ngethemba lokukhawulezisa ukuqukuqela kwamanzi.
“Sihambe kancinci kangangeeyure ezingama-48 kwaye siza kuqhubeka ude ugqitywe umsebenzi,” utshilo usodolophu waseFunchal uMiguel Albuquerque.
Abemi balapha babekhathazekile njengoko iishawari zazingena, zigalela amanzi amaninzi kwiinduli ezinodaka.
UConceicao Estudante, intloko yengingqi yezokhenketho kunye nezothutho, uxelele inkomfa yeendaba ukuba amaxhoba ali-18 awakachongwa. Ucele amalungu osapho ukuba aye kwindawo yokugcina izidumbu kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya saseFunchal.
Amalungu asixhenxe osapho onamalungu asibhozo asweleke xa ikhaya labo elisecaleni laye lakhukuliseka, umsasazi woluntu iRadiotelevisao Portuguesa yabika.
Amagosa athi abantu abali-18 kwi-151 abangeniswe kwisibhedlele esikhulu saseFunchal basanyangwa. Abantu abamalunga ne-150 babengenamakhaya.
URui Pereira, uMphathiswa woLawulo lwaNgaphakathi, uthe eLisbon urhulumente uthumela ibhetshi yesibini yoncedo kwisiqithi.
Inqwelomoya yezothutho yomkhosi yayisiya eMadeira kunye nezinja ezininzi zokuphunga, izixhobo zokumpompa ezinamandla aphezulu kunye nezixhobo ze-sappers zomkhosi ukuthatha indawo yeendlela ezidilikileyo kunye neebhulorho, utshilo uPereira. Uthe iimfuno zemali zikaMadeira zisabalwa.
IMadeira, indawo ethandwayo yabakhenkethi, sesona siqithi siphambili seziqithi zasePortugal ezinegama elifanayo kuLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki ngaphezulu nje kweemayile ezingama-300 (iikhilomitha ezingama-480) ukusuka kunxweme olusentshona Afrika.
Urhulumente wasePortugal ubhengeze iintsuku ezintathu zokuzila ngenxa yamaxhoba eyona ntlekele inkulu yaseMadeira kwinkumbulo ephilayo.
