Five children were killed and two are missing following a dam collapse in eastern Zimbabwe. Heavy rains breached the dam at a farm in Chipinge, leading to flooding. A search is underway by the disaster management agency for the missing children, and significant damage to the area has occurred as a result of the disaster.
In eastern Zimbabwe, five children have tragically lost their lives following the collapse of a dam. The incident occurred amidst continuous rainfall, leading to the dam’s walls breaching at a farm in Chipinge. Rescuers are currently searching for two additional children who are reported missing, according to the disaster management agency.
The dam broke on Sunday, leading to devastating flooding that overwhelmed nearby villages. Initial reports confirmed the deaths of a four-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man; the girl’s mother was able to survive the incident. As the search for other children progressed, the bodies of four additional children were found during a concerted effort by rescue teams.
The Civil Protection Unit is actively involved in the search for two children, aged eight and four, who remain unaccounted for. The floodwaters not only posed a threat to life but also caused significant damage to agricultural equipment and livestock in the area, as children were caught off guard while fishing or doing laundry by the river.
Following a severe drought affecting Zimbabwe in the past four decades, the recent heavy rains have caused flash flooding in various regions of the country. Emergency response teams, including the Civil Protection Unit and local police, along with community members, continue to comb the affected areas in hopes of locating the missing children.
The dam collapse in eastern Zimbabwe resulted in the tragic loss of five children, highlighting the consequences of extreme weather events in the region. Continuous rains have repeatedly challenged disaster preparedness, causing flooding and destruction. The ongoing search for two missing children underscores the urgency of the situation and the need for effective community responses to such natural disasters.
Original Source: abcnews.go.com
