2 kids drown in family well

A GWERU family has suffered a double tragedy following the drowning of two siblings aged nine and 16 in a well at the family's plot.

It is suspected that the nine -year -old boy drowned first, only for his elder sister to die as well as she tried to rescue him.

According to a summary of sudden death in possession of The Chronicle, the siblings Comfort (9) and Blessing (16) Rubunya drowned in a well at Plot 3 Meadows, Gweru, on January 20.

"On the day in question, the deceased around 3PM were left alone at home by their parents. The father (Josphat Rubunya) returned home at around 5PM and found the two children not at home. He moved around the yard looking for them and observed two by five litre containers and two mugs at their well in the yard," reads part of sudden death summary form.

Mr Rubunya (72) got closer to the well which is about two metres deep and discovered that his two children had drowned.

"The parents are of the opinion that it might have happened that the younger child slipped into the well first causing the elder [sister] to attempt to rescue him resulting in both drowning. The two bodies were retrieved from the well by villagers," reads the report.

Gweru magistrate, Ms Judith Taruvinga waived post-mortem and the deceased were buried at the family plot.