Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FLIES swarming around a particular area led to the discovery of the bodies of the last two victims of the recent Chipinge farm dam breach – and the bodies have since been buried.
Chipinge District Development Coordinator (DDC), Mr William Mashava said all the seven victims who died in the disaster have now been laid to rest, with Government extending a hand to the bereaved families.
The search for the missing bodies had been ongoing, despite the heavy rainfall being received in the area making the task more difficult.
The victim’s bodies were buried under sand, and it was only because of the flies hovering around the area that they were eventually found.
One of the bodies was discovered near the site where the first victim was discovered, while the other was found further downstream along Mwara River in Ward 10.
Mr Mashava said they were grateful for the tireless efforts of everyone involved.
The disaster struck after a breach at Bandama Farm Dam in Chipinge, resulting in the release of large quantities of water downstream and killing the seven victims.
“The search was not easy, given the rains that were being received in the area, and we are relieved that we finally recovered all the bodies. As we speak, all the bodies have been laid to rest. We are very thankful to all the parties that worked tirelessly to ensure that the bodies were successfully retrieved,” said Mr Mashava.
Chipinge Rural District Council Ward 10 representative, Councillor Mr Piason Sithole, narrated how the two missing bodies were eventually discovered.
“The two children who had been missing were buried under the sand, and we managed to locate them because of the flies that were hovering around the area. Of the two who had been missing, one was discovered in an area close to where we recovered the first victim. The other was discovered further down along Mwara River, but still in Ward 10. The seven have now been laid to rest,” said Councillor Sithole.
