Authorities in Zimbabwe have confirmed the deaths of five children after a dam collapsed in the eastern district of Chipinge. Rescuers are still searching for two more children who remain missing, the country’s disaster management agency announced on Thursday.
The collapse occurred on Sunday when continuous heavy rains caused the dam walls at a local farm to give way, sending a surge of water downstream. Initially, officials reported the deaths of a four-year-old girl who had been doing laundry with her mother and a 30-year-old man. The girl’s mother survived.
However, as more children were reported missing in the area, an urgent search and rescue operation was launched, leading to the recovery of four additional bodies this week.
The Civil Protection Unit, Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency, stated that the search continues for two missing children, aged eight and four.
The sudden floodwaters swept through nearby villages, catching children off guard as they fished or washed clothes by the river. The flood also destroyed agricultural equipment and killed livestock.
A joint team comprising members of the Civil Protection Unit, the police, and local community volunteers is combing the area in hopes of finding the missing children.
Zimbabwe, which recently endured its worst drought in four decades, has been experiencing relentless rainfall in many regions over the past few weeks.
