Three children from the same family have died after drowning in a dam at Thikiti village in the area of Traditional Authority Ndamera in Nsanje.
Nsanje Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Agnes Zalakoma, said the three children were found floating in the dam yesterday while a fourth child was still missing.
The three children have been identified as Precious Samuel aged 15, Pilirani Samuel aged 11, and Kama’l Samuel aged 5. The fourth child Jama’l Samuel, aged 8 is missing and feared dead.
Zalakoma has told Malawi24 that during wee hours of March 3, 2022, the children’s parents left their four children at home for their respective family assignments.
Zalakoma further said that at noon, the couple reported back home but did not find their children at home and they believed that their children were out playing.
“At around 1500 hours, the couple received information about a drowning incident involving their two children at a dam created by a company constructing Nsanje-Marka Road.
“The matter was reported to Nsanje Police through Marka Police Unit and scene was visited where it was observed that the four children went to the dam for washing,” she said.
It is believed that in the course of washing clothes, the children opted to swim where they ended up drowning.
The bodies were retrieved and postmortem conducted at Nsanje District Hospital have revealed that deaths occurred due to suffocation secondary to drowning.
Currently, the police and community members have launched search parties for the missing child.
Residents are being reminded not to allow their children play near water reservoirs.
