Dam Burst At Bandama Farm Claims Four Lives And Leaves Three Missing
Four people, including a four-year-old girl, have been confirmed dead, while three others remain missing following a dam breach at Bandama Farm (formerly Canterbury Farm) in Chipinge on Sunday. The breach released large quantities of water downstream.
The property was owned by the late national hero and former Commander of the 3 Infantry Brigade in Mutare, Brigadier-General Eliah Bandama.
In addition to the loss of life, livestock were killed, and irrigation facilities were destroyed.
John Misi, the Civil Protection Unit chairman for Manicaland province, confirmed on Monday that among the deceased is a minor who was with her mother, doing laundry downstream, and a man who was fishing at the time of the incident. Said Misi:
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.
Chipinge District Development Coordinator, William Mashava, confirmed that a search is ongoing for the bodies of those who are still missing.
He also said macadamia farmers have suffered significant losses, with pump houses located near the river in Ward 7 and Ward 10 of the district being swept away.
More: The Herald
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