MILLICENT HUNGWE
HEADLANDS -Shantel Chiremba (10) lost her life after drowning in a stream near her school on September 30th.
According to Manicaland Province ZRP acting spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, the incident occurred at around 2 pm as Shantel was walking home from Nehumba Primary School with her classmates Paidamoyo Murangariri (11) and Shanel Mumbweza (9).
As the group crossed a stream, Shantel decided to wash her legs but tragically slipped and fell into the pool and drowned.
Murangariri and Mumbweza, Shantel’s classmates, rushed back to their school to inform their teacher, Innocent Matehwa (43), who rushed to the scene and retrieved the deceased’s body.
Matehwa retrieved Shantel’s body from the stream and reported the incident to the Headlands Police Station.
No visible injuries were observed on Shantel’s body, which was subsequently transported to the Rusape Hospital for a postmortem.
Chinyoka emphasized the importance of water safety awareness and supervision of children not to play around water bodies in order to prevent drownings.