Online Reporter
Mutare Bureau
A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy drowned and his body was found floating in a well at a neighbour’s homestead in Magamba Extension Village under Chief Zimunya in Manicaland.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident.
He identified the deceased as Rarlegh Mafusire.
He said the toddler had been playing alone at a neighbour’s homestead.
“Mafusire was playing alone at a neighbour’s house when his cousin informed Alice Muperere, who was washing laundry at the Mafusire homestead,” said Ass-Insp Chinyoka.
“She rushed to the scene, where she noticed Mafusire floating in a well.
“Muperere alerted the neighbours, who retrieved the body from the well.”
The case was subsequently reported to the police. “Police attended the scene and observed a cut on the head of the deceased,” he said.
The body was later taken to a hospital for a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death.
Ass-Insp Chinyoka said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident were still in progress.
He has since urged parents, guardians and other members of the community to exercise greater vigilance when children are playing, particularly in areas with wells, dams, ponds and other potentially dangerous water sources.
“Parents and guardians should ensure that young children are closely supervised and should not assume that children playing nearby are safe simply because they are within the community,” he said.
