A 24-year-old mother, Matrida Mwale, has drowned at Msusu River after failing to rescue her six-year-old daughter, Grace Mbewe who drowned in the same river while she was playing with her friends at Emfeni, Perete village in the district.
It is reported that Grace Mbewe went to the river with her two friends for swimming on 28 January, 2024.
In the course of swimming, it is said Grace went to the deep side of the river and failed to swim back and she drowned.
Sub-Inspector Macfarlen Mseteka, Public Relations Officer Jenda Police Station, said the girl’s two friends run to the village and informed the mother who without hesitation rushed into the river in an attempt to rescue her daughter but she also drowned.
The bodies were taken to Emfeni health centre where the two were pronounced brought in dead. The matter was reported at Emfeni police who visited both the scene and the hospital. Postmortem conducted at the facility revealed that death was due suffocation secondary to drowning and no foul play suspected.
Meanwhile, Jenda Police Station is advising members of the community to avoid crossing and swimming in flooded rivers during rainy season. Further people are urged to use expert swimmers in rescuing drowning victims to avoid further accidents during rescue time.
Matrida Mwale and her daughter hailed from Perete Village, Traditional Authority Mabulabo in Mzimba district.
