A 40-year-old woman and her 7-year-old daughter have drowned in a water filled ditch while fetching water in Chanda Mwamba Village in Luwingu District in northern province.
Confirming the incident in a statement made to the media in Kasama, Northern Province Police Commanding Officer Simunji Mulonda said the two died around 12:30 hours on Saturday after the daughter slipped into the ditch.
Mr Mulonda has identified the victims, as Annie Chibusha and her daughter Esther Chibusha.
The Northern Province Commanding Officer disclosed that the mother in an attempt to rescue her child also fell in the ditch and both drowned.
The Police Commanding Officer said the ditch was located in an area where gravel was being mined.
He revealed that a witness who was also fetching water nearby raised the alarm, but villagers who rushed to the scene found the two already dead.
Mr Mulonda said the bodies of the deceased were later retrieved and kept at the family home for burial.
He described the incident as a preventable tragedy.
“This heartbreaking loss highlights the dangers of drawing water from unsafe places. We advise members of the public to use designated wells to avoid such fatalities,” he said.
Mr Mulonda said police visited the scene and confirmed no foul play was suspected adding that an inquiry file had been opened.
In a related development, two people have died after a house collapsed following heavy rains in Kaliminwa village, in Mporokoso District.
Northern Province Police Commanding Officer Simunji Mulonda confirmed this in a statement and identified the victims, as Saviour Bwalya, 21, and Lillian Kabwe, 14.
Mr Mulonda said the incident occurred between the evening of March 28 and the morning of March 29, 2026, when the house they were sleeping in gave in after being weakened by a heavy downpour.
“The tragedy was discovered early on March 29 when a passerby noticed the collapsed structure and raised alarm. Officers led by Officer-in-Charge Stephen Mulenga rushed to the scene and retrieved the two bodies. Preliminary findings indicated that the victims suffocated after the house caved in on them,” the Commanding Officer disclosed.
He expressed sorrow over the incident and urged communities to build stronger homes.
“This painful loss of young lives is a reminder of the dangers posed by weak housing structures. We urge members of the public to construct houses that can withstand harsh weather conditions to avoid such calamities,” Mr Mulonda said.
He disclosed that the bodies have since been deposited at Mporokoso District Hospital mortuary, awaiting burial arrangements.
Police have opened an inquiry file into the matter.
