Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]
A one-year-old girl from Nketa, Bulawayo, drowned in a bucket of water after she was left playing with her 11-year-old brother while their mother was bathing.
The incident occurred at around 4PM on March 31 when the child’s mother, aged 20, briefly left the toddler under the supervision of the juvenile.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, said while the mother was in the bathroom, she heard the boy calling for help, saying the infant was drowning in a bucket of water.
“When she rushed out, the child had already been removed from the bucket,” said Inspector Msebele.
The toddler was taken to a nearby private clinic for medical assistance but was pronounced dead upon arrival. A police report was then made.
Inspector Msebele urged members of the public to prioritise children’s safety at all times, warning that containers such as buckets, basins, bathtubs and other water storage vessels pose a serious risk of drowning if left within reach of young children.
Police are investigating the matter.
