BULAWAYO- A three-year-old girl from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo died after she slipped and fell into a water-filled Blair toilet pit while playing with a friend, police said.
Inspector Msebele Nomalanga, the Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, said the incident occurred on November 28 at around 6PM when the toddler, Keila Nkomo, was playing near a neighbour’s outdoor toilet with a nine-year-old friend.
“She suddenly slipped and fell into the toilet pit approximately 2.5 metres deep, half full with water,” Msebele said.
The other child rushed to alert Keila’s 22-year-old aunt, who ran to the scene, pulled the toddler out and attempted first aid. Police said the effort came too late as the child had already drowned.
Her body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post-mortem.
Police urged parents and guardians to heighten supervision of young children, especially during the rainy season when household pits, wells and makeshift sanitation structures can quickly fill up with water.
Cowdray Park, one of Bulawayo’s fastest-growing suburbs, has long struggled with inadequate sanitation infrastructure, with many households relying on shallow pit toilets. The onset of the rainy season has previously triggered similar tragedies.
In 2023, a two-year-old Mzilikazi boy died after falling into an unprotected well, while in 2021 a four-year-old in Pumula drowned in a flooded pit latrine following heavy rains.
Emergency services have repeatedly warned that poorly secured pits, open wells and makeshift latrines pose serious risks to children, particularly in high-density areas where proper sewer systems remain limited.
Police said the latest incident underscores the need for communities to secure outdoor toilets and ensure children do not play near water-filled pits.
The post Cowdray Park toddler drowns after falling into toilet pit appeared first on Zimbabwe News Now.