Child drowns in pit latrine in Chibolya

The Zambia Police Service has recorded a tragic drowning incident in Chibolya Compound involving a four-year-old boy who allegedly fell into a pit latrine under construction. In a statement issued on Thursday, Chilabi said the child’s mother, Memory Mulenga, reported her son missing on February 5 around 07:00 hours, prompting an immediate search by community members and police. “Around 14:00 hours today, members of the community discovered the body of a male child floating in rainwater inside a pit latrine at a neighbour’s yard,” Chilabi said.

The boy was later identified as Gerald Chibwe. Police officers who visited the scene found the pit latrine partially filled with rainwater and located only a few metres from the family’s home. According to Chilabi, a physical inspection of the child’s body revealed no visible injuries.

The body has since been taken to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Mortuary for a postmortem examination to establish the exact cause of death. Chilabi appealed to parents and guardians to exercise heightened vigilance and ensure children were supervised at all times, particularly in areas with open or unprotected construction works. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.