Tragic Dam Collapse in Zimbabwe Results in Loss of Five Children and Ongoing Search for Two Missing
Five children were killed and two others are missing following a dam collapse in eastern Zimbabwe due to heavy rains. The incident, which occurred in Chipinge, prompted urgent search and rescue operations. Local authorities are continuing to search for the missing children while responding to the disaster’s impact on the community.
In a tragic incident in eastern Zimbabwe, five children lost their lives following the collapse of a dam due to recent heavy rains. Reports from the country’s disaster management agency indicated that rescuers are currently searching for two other children who remain unaccounted for. The dam, located on a farm in Chipinge, breached its walls, flooding nearby areas and complicating rescue efforts.
The disaster occurred when an influx of water from continuous rainfall overwhelmed the dam on Sunday, leading to its failure. Initially, it was reported that a four-year-old girl, who was doing laundry with her mother, and a 30-year-old man perished in the incident. Fortunately, the girl’s mother survived the tragedy. As the search progressed, rescuers were able to recover the bodies of four additional children who were also implicated in the dam’s collapse.
Two children, aged eight and four, remain missing, prompting a concerted search effort by the Civil Protection Unit, local police, and community members. The flooding caused by the dam failure impacted downstream villages, endangering children who were engaged in fishing or laundry activities while also damaging agricultural tools and leading to the death of livestock.
Zimbabwe has recently transitioned from experiencing its worst drought in forty years to facing persistent rains across several regions. This sudden change in weather has raised concerns about flooding and related disasters in other vulnerable areas of the country.
The dam collapse in eastern Zimbabwe has resulted in the tragic loss of five children while two others are still missing. Responders from various agencies are actively engaged in search and recovery operations. The incident highlights the serious impacts of recent heavy rains following a period of severe drought, raising concerns about the safety of vulnerable communities moving forward.
Original Source: abcnews.go.com
