A DAM breach at Bandama farm (formerly Canterbury farm) in Chipinge has resulted in the release of large quantities of water downstream, killing four people including a four-year-old girl.
Three people
are also missing following the incident which occurred on Sunday at the
property owned by the late national hero and former Commander of 3 Infantry
Brigade in Mutare, Brigadier General Eliah Bandama.
Livestock has
also been killed while irrigation facilities have been destroyed.
A dam breach is
the collapse or movement of part of a dam or its foundation, such that the dam
cannot retain water and in general, the breach results in a release of large
quantities of water, posing a risk to people or property downstream.
Speaking from
the site of the incident, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs
and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who visited the area yesterday to
assess the damage and console bereaved families, said search teams are on the
ground looking for the missing persons.
“I am on the
ground and I can confirm that four people have died. Three are still missing.
The search continues and we hope that we will be able to find the missing
persons soon,” said Adv Mugadza.
Civil
Protection Unit chairman for Manicaland province, Mr John Misi, said among the
deceased is a minor who was in the company of her mother who was doing laundry
downstream and a man who was fishing.
He said the
other two people were swept away by raging waters downstream.
“The dam breach
occurred at Bandama Farm, formerly known as Canterbury Farm. Although we are
waiting for finer details, we are told that there was a female adult who was
washing clothes downstream in the company of her two children and one of them —
four years old — was swept away and the body was later retrieved.
“The other
child who was with her mother, a 15-year-old, was swept away and was left
marooned on a piece of land. The teen was later rescued.
“The other
person who died was a 30-year-old man who was on a fishing expedition. It
happened at a farm that is owned by the late national hero Brigadier Bandama’s
family. The other two deceased were swept
downstream,” said Mr Misi.
In a separate
interview, Chipinge District Development Co-ordinator Mr William Mashava said a
search is currently underway for the bodies of missing people, adding that some
macadamia farmers were left counting losses after their pump houses, which were
close to the river in Ward 7 and 10 of the district, were swept away.
“Several pumps
houses in Ward 7 and 10, which were installed close to the river, were
destroyed due to flooding,” said Mr Mashava.
Ward 10
Councillor Piason Sithole said the community, together with various stakeholders is on the ground
assisting in the search for the missing persons.
He added that
some villagers also lost their livestock. Herald
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