Two Eleven-Year-Old Girls Drown In Abandoned Sand Pit In Bulawayo

Two eleven-year-old girls have drowned in a water-filled pit allegedly left behind by illegal sand poachers in Pumula, Bulawayo.

The bodies were discovered at an open excavation site in a bushy area near their homes in Ward 17.

Residents say the pit is one of many abandoned holes that fill with rainwater during the wet season, turning neighbourhood spaces into deadly traps for children.   Follow us on our WhatsApp Channel

Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident, describing it as a case of sudden death by drowning. She said:

“Police in Bulawayo confirm receiving a report in which two female juveniles drowned in a disused pit.”

Inspector Msebele said the incident happened at around 3 pm on Sunday. The girls were among a group of children playing near several water-filled pits created by recent heavy rains.

About 30 minutes later, a 15-year-old boy who was at a nearby pit heard desperate cries for help.

He and a friend ran to the scene and pulled the two girls from the water, but they were already dead. Police were alerted shortly afterwards.

The bodies were taken to a local mortuary for post-mortem examinations as investigations continue.

Illegal sand mining has for years scarred Bulawayo’s western suburbs, including Methodist Village, Pumula East, Old Pumula, Nkulumane and Pumula South.

Fuelled by rising demand for construction materials, sand poachers dig deep pits, often in broad daylight, supplying fast-growing suburbs such as Cowdray Park, Emthunzini and Mbundane, where major housing developments are underway.

The damage has been extensive, leaving behind open craters that fill with rainwater and turn into deadly traps during the rainy season. 

Source - Zimnet