Girl (6) feared dead after crocodile attack

Chronicle Reporter
December 18, 2009



A six year old girl from Nkayi district in Matabeleland North Province is feared dead following an attack by a crocodile, which then dragged her into a pool on Sunday.
She has not been seen since that time.
Matabeleland North police spokesman, Inspector Trust Ndlovu, said the crocodile attacked the girl while she was in the process of drinking water from the pool.
“The incident occurred at about 2.30pm when the girl aged six from Matema area in Nkayi was assigned by her father to go and guard maize in a garden along Mangwizi River,” said Insp Ndlovu.
He said the girl was in the company of her 12-year-old sister.
“While at the field, the two ate boiled maize cobs which they had brought from home and afterwards the young girl said she was thirsty and wanted water to drink and proceeded to a pool in front of the garden,” said Insp Ndlovu.
He said her older sister advised against drinking from the pool since it was too deep.
“When the young girl was about to drink from the pool, her sister tried to pull her by hand and it was during this time that the crocodile that was in the pool grabbed her by the waist,” said Insp Ndlovu.
“The sister rushed home to inform her father who immediately rushed to the scene and found the crocodile dragging the girl into the deeper end of the pool.”
The provincial police spokesperson said a report was then made to the police who attended to the scene but could not retrieve the body from the pool.
“We are waiting for the Sub-Aqua Unit to retrieve the body from the scene,” said Insp Ndlovu.
He appealed to members of the public to be on the lookout for crocodiles especially during the rainy season.
“With huge amounts of rainfall received in the province since the beginning of the rainy season with some low lying areas recording cases of flooding, we would like to appeal to the public to be on the lookout for crocodiles,” said Insp Ndlovu.
“The heavy flow of water makes it easy for the reptiles to navigate from one place to the other.”
Meanwhile, one person was killed and three others were injured when a pick-up truck they were travelling in overturned at a slope in Siabuwa, Binga district.
Insp Ndlovu said the accident occurred at about 11.30am on Tuesday.
“The owner of a Nissan pick-up truck was driving to Siabuwa and on board were four passengers.
“At a street ascend at Chunga slope, the driver failed to engage the right gear resulting in the vehicle rolling backwards,” said Insp Ndlovu.
He said as the vehicle rolled backwards, other passengers managed to jump off before it fell into a gulley.
“One passenger failed to jump off the moving vehicle resulting in him dying on the spot. The three were taken to Binga District Hospital where they were treated and discharged,” said Insp Ndlovu.
“The driver of the vehicle has been charged with culpable homicide.”
Insp Ndlovu reiterated that police would not tire in weeding out unroadworthy vehicles from the province's roads in a bid to reduce deaths during the festive season.
“As our traffic safety campaign continues, the police will not hesitate to clear unroadworthy vehicles off the road as we want to make sure that members of the community celebrate the holidays without any deaths,” he said.