Five boys drown in Zambia National Service reserve dam in Chongwe

Five boys from Meanwood Ndeke Phase 3 in Chongwe District have drowned in a Zambia National Service (ZNS) Airport Farms reserve dam.

Police spokesperson, Godfrey Chilabi, said the incident occurred on Thursday around 10:00 hours.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, Chilabi identified the victims as Divine Musopelo, aged 11; Angel Mwandila, aged 14; Daniel Mumba, aged 10; Nkusechela Sakala, aged 9; and Chikumbutso Banda, aged 14.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the juveniles were swimming in the ZNS reserve dam when one of them noticed that his friends had failed to resurface.

“The matter was immediately reported to elders in the area, who alerted ZNS personnel and the police,” Chilabi said.

Police officers rushed to the scene and, working with ZNS personnel and members of the Kampansa community, launched a search operation. Three bodies were retrieved around 15:00 hours.

“The search operation continued into the early hours of today, during which the remaining two bodies were retrieved,” he said.

Chilabi said police have since opened an inquiry file into the incident.

The scene has been processed, and all five bodies have been deposited in the Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital mortuary, awaiting postmortem examinations and subsequent burial.

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