News / National
River claims 19th teacher . . . as couple drowns
13 Mar 2016 at 07:09hrs | Views
A MBERENGWA teacher and his wife drowned after the car which they were travelling in was swept away at a flooded bridge at a river now commonly known as Gwamateacher following incessant rains on Thursday last week.
The tragic incident occurred in the afternoon when Mr Fido Chihwayi and his wife who was only identified as Mrs Chihwayi drowned when their Toyota Noah was swept away by water while trying to cross a flooded Gwamateacher bridge soon after ferrying a pregnant woman to Masase Mission Hospital in Mberengwa.
The woman, however, committed suicide by drinking poison soon after receiving the news that the people who had taken her to hospital had drowned about three kilometres from the hospital while trying to cross the bridge.
Although police could not be reached for comment, Member of Parliament for Mberengwa West Constituency Dr Joram Gumbo confirmed the incident saying Mr Chihwayi was the 19th teacher to drown in the river hence it was called Gwamateacher.
"I can confirm that a local teacher based at Vubwe Primary School in Mberengwa and his wife died after their car was swept away by water following incessant rains. The man was coming from Masase Mission Hospital where they had taken a pregnant woman who was almost due.
"The couple was accompanied by five other people who were relatives of the expecting woman. On their way back their car was swept away by the flooded Gwamateacher river and the vehicle fell on its left side. The other five people who were in the vehicle and Mrs Chihwayi escaped but Fido was trapped.
"When Mrs Chihwayi realised that her husband was dying she then jumped into the car to rescue him but they both drowned," said Dr Gumbo.
"Mr Chihwayi is the 19th teacher to drown in this river after 18 others drowned some years back hence the river is called Gwamateacher."
Dr Gumbo, who is also Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, said Mrs Chihwayi's body was later discovered floating in a dam about a kilometre from the bridge while the police sub-aqua unit from Buchwa were still searching for Fido's body.
"We are still searching for the man's body. We have nine members of the police sub aqua unit who have been searching for the body since Thursday but to no avail. We have also received the news that the woman who was taken to Masase Mission Hospital committed suicide when she heard that the two had drowned," said Dr Gumbo.
The tragic incident occurred in the afternoon when Mr Fido Chihwayi and his wife who was only identified as Mrs Chihwayi drowned when their Toyota Noah was swept away by water while trying to cross a flooded Gwamateacher bridge soon after ferrying a pregnant woman to Masase Mission Hospital in Mberengwa.
The woman, however, committed suicide by drinking poison soon after receiving the news that the people who had taken her to hospital had drowned about three kilometres from the hospital while trying to cross the bridge.
Although police could not be reached for comment, Member of Parliament for Mberengwa West Constituency Dr Joram Gumbo confirmed the incident saying Mr Chihwayi was the 19th teacher to drown in the river hence it was called Gwamateacher.
"I can confirm that a local teacher based at Vubwe Primary School in Mberengwa and his wife died after their car was swept away by water following incessant rains. The man was coming from Masase Mission Hospital where they had taken a pregnant woman who was almost due.
"When Mrs Chihwayi realised that her husband was dying she then jumped into the car to rescue him but they both drowned," said Dr Gumbo.
"Mr Chihwayi is the 19th teacher to drown in this river after 18 others drowned some years back hence the river is called Gwamateacher."
Dr Gumbo, who is also Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, said Mrs Chihwayi's body was later discovered floating in a dam about a kilometre from the bridge while the police sub-aqua unit from Buchwa were still searching for Fido's body.
"We are still searching for the man's body. We have nine members of the police sub aqua unit who have been searching for the body since Thursday but to no avail. We have also received the news that the woman who was taken to Masase Mission Hospital committed suicide when she heard that the two had drowned," said Dr Gumbo.
Source - sundaynews
