Girl (aged 9) drowns in village well

Tragedy struck at a farm on Rusape on Saturday when a nine-year-old girl, Tadiwa Nyakuromba, drowned while fetching water from a deep well at her family’s homestead.

Acting Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka said they have launched investigations into the circumstances which led to the child’s death.

He said the incident occurred at around 1100 hours at the Crofton B area

“The child, accompanied by a five-year-old sibling, went to the homestead’s well, approximately two metres deep, to fetch water. “While attempting to draw water using a bucket, the child slipped while trying to fetch water and, unfortunately, drowned.

“The sibling immediately ran to alert their grandmother, who retrieved the body from the well. There were no visible injuries noted at the scene,” said Ass Ins Chinyoka.

The grandmother, 45-year-old Mavis Manesa, was the first adult to respond and recover Tadiwa’s body. ZRP Rusape Central officers attended the scene and confirmed the body was taken to the Rusape District Mortuary for a post-mortem examination.

“This is a very unfortunate incident. We urge parents and guardians to ensure children are supervised at all times, especially around water sources, even in homestead settings.

“Wells, dams, and rivers pose a real risk to young children,” said Ass Insp Chinyoka.

He also warned the public to take precautionary measures to prevent similar tragedies.

“It only takes a moment for accidents like this to occur.

“Securing wells with covers and teaching children about water safety can save lives.

“The public should always exercise caution around such hazards,” he said.

He added:

“At this stage, the matter appears to be a tragic accident.

“We are conducting a thorough investigation and the post-mortem will provide further clarity on the cause of death.” *_-Herald_*