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By Elvis Dumba
Banket – Residents were cautioned to exercise maximum vigilance after a five-year-old girl identified as Barbara Chadzikira drowned when she fell in a well whilst playing.
The deceased was playing unmonitored with her friends and stepped on top of a plastic polythene sheet that was covering the well which was having a covering built around it.
The incident happened at House number 417 Low-Density Suburbs, Banket, yesterday (Thursday) morning. The deceased was left in the care of a guardian when her mother Debra Chadzikira travelled to Harare.
The juvenile who was playing with friends stepped on top of the plastic polythene sheet which covered the forty meters well and fell inside.
Her friends quickly rushed inside the house and informed some unidentified people who called for help and a report was made at Banket Police Station.
Neighbors tried to use some water pumps to pump out the water from the well but the rescue mission failed.
The deceased body was taken to Banket District Hospital Mortuary.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi was not available for comment by the time of going to print but Banket Police Station Officer in Charge, Inspector Nhamburo Damburai who attended the scene, called upon parents to monitor juveniles when they are playing.
“This incident exposes the negligence of parents and guardians who leave children to play on their own without grown-ups to monitor them. This unfortunate incident comes after a similar incident of a child who drowned again in Banket. I urge people to ensure that their water sources are well protected to avoid similar incidents,” he said
At the end of June, a four-year-old girl died drowning in Banket after she fell into a shallow muddy pool.