Girl Cousins Aged Eight And 12 Drown While Swimming In Disused Quarry

Story By: James KingSub-EditorMarija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

These two young girls drowned in an abandoned quarry after the mining firm reneged on a promise to fill in the holes to make it safe.

The two girls, both cousins, had been sent by their families to gather wood in the nearby forest and after taking it home – had decided to sneak off for a swim because it was still warm weather where they lived in KwaMnathi Village in South Africa’s northern KwaZulu-Natal province.

But the girls, Zanokuhle Ntshangase, 12, and Andiswa Masondo, 8, got into difficulties and drowned.

Newsflash

Local residents have been against the three-month mining project that left two deep holes being located so near a residential area, but welcomed the employment opportunities it presented and believed the mining firm when they said the holes would be filled in afterwards.

However, that did not happen and after the recent heavy rains, both holes were filled with water which tempted the children to go for a swim.

Other children who saw them struggling and then disappear below the surface ran to raise the alarm, and a police diving team was dispatched to the area who managed to recover the bodies later the same day.

Newsflash

Zodwa Madinana who was an aunt to both girls said that the whole village was now scared to let their children leave home in case there was a repeat tragedy, and called for action to fill in the holes.

She said: “We can keep the kids at home for now but when the schools reopen they can get up to anything. We are all very worried.”

Locals said that the sides of the steep quarry were difficult for people and animals who can easily topple in and they claimed that some animals had also drowned at the quarry.

Newsflash

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has promised an enquiry and to see whether the mining company can be made to close up the holes.

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