A 34-year-old man and a nine-year-old grade three pupil of Batunga basic school in Itezhi-tezhi district have drowned in Kafue River when the boat they were paddling capsized.
Batunga Basic School Parents Teachers Association chairperson (PTA) Geoffrey Kapeyo confirmed the death of Victor Shikwe and Lameck Mwiimbu in Batunga today saying that the incident happened around 10:00 hours today.
Mr Kapeyo said that there were three people in the canoe at the time the accident happened and that a small boy, Frazer Mwiimbu managed to swim to the shore.
“The 34 year-old man and the 9-year-old were ferrying hippo grass and poles for their garden fence across the Kafue River when the tides became violent and caused the boat to capsize, killing the two while Frazer Mwiimbu managed to swim to the shore” he said.
Meanwhile Itezhi-tezhi police have not yet recovered the drowned bodies but they have intensified searching in the Kafue River.
[ZANIS]
cabipa mwebantu. Probably the guy was a breadwinner and family must be devastated. God forbid.
Most zedians cannot swim
How do you go on the river and fell to swim and you have also caused death of a nine yrs old boy.What a loss to the family too young to die, but they should be discouraged to go on the river without swimming skills or need floation gears or life jackets
People are dying because of water, i wonder why Zambians can’t learn simple lessons. Recently a man drowned as he was trying to pick up a bird that some little boy killed, which he would not have not even eaten had he survived. now it is a fence. does it mean this district has no other places that people can be found apart from near waters? the police and government need to introduce preventive measures to avoid such carelessness in these areas. Anyhow, may the souls of the departed rest in peace.