4 schoolgirls drown at Chegutu dam after confrontation

Four schoolgirls drowned at Petra Dam in Chugutu after allegedly being confronted by a group of seven people who accused them of illegal fishing, police have said.

The victims, identified as Letty Sedrick, 14, Tadiwa Phiri, 15, Faith Woda, 13, and Mercy Tembo, 14, died at around 9pm on October 18 while reportedly trying to escape the group.

Police have launched a culpable homicide investigation into the incident. The four girls, who were in Grades Six and Seven, were allegedly fishing using a mosquito net when the group confronted them.

According to police, one of the boys accompanying the group was allegedly attacked with a log. He escaped by swimming across the dam, followed by another boy.

The four girls were left in the water, and investigators suspect they also attempted to swim to the opposite bank but failed to reach safety.

Their bodies were recovered at sunrise on October 19.

Two suspects, aged 16 and 19, have been arrested and are assisting detectives with investigations, while five others remain at large, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.

In a statement, Nyathi urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children's movements, particularly at night, and discourage them from visiting dams and rivers after dark.

Police also warned against taking the law into one's own hands, urging members of the public who suspect illegal activities to report them to the police or other relevant authorities.

The investigation is continuing as police work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the deaths.