A farm security guard has described what happened when the Bandama Farm dam broke in Chipinge on Sunday. Officials have confirmed five people died, and teams are still looking for two missing persons.
Mr. Samson Masirande, age 70, first saw dirty water flowing in the Dandoni River around 8 a.m. Sunday morning. He didn't worry much about it at first, thinking perhaps children were playing upstream. He walked up the river to check but found nothing unusual.
By noon, the water had risen to knee height, then later reached his waist. Masirande went upstream again to investigate. That's when he heard a loud noise similar to a helicopter. He tried warning some children who were playing near the stream, but they ignored his cautions.
The powerful flood wave arrived carrying uprooted trees and logs. At that point, the dam had already cracked. Everyone watched helplessly as the rushing water swept away everything in its path. Deputy Ministers Vangelis Haritatos and Engineer Benjamin Kabikira have visited the area to check the damage, plan government help, and comfort families who lost loved ones.
Mr. Samson Masirande, age 70, first saw dirty water flowing in the Dandoni River around 8 a.m. Sunday morning. He didn't worry much about it at first, thinking perhaps children were playing upstream. He walked up the river to check but found nothing unusual.
By noon, the water had risen to knee height, then later reached his waist. Masirande went upstream again to investigate. That's when he heard a loud noise similar to a helicopter. He tried warning some children who were playing near the stream, but they ignored his cautions.
The powerful flood wave arrived carrying uprooted trees and logs. At that point, the dam had already cracked. Everyone watched helplessly as the rushing water swept away everything in its path. Deputy Ministers Vangelis Haritatos and Engineer Benjamin Kabikira have visited the area to check the damage, plan government help, and comfort families who lost loved ones.
