A Five-year-old girl from Chinhoyi died while her elder brother and parents were seriously injured when a neighbour’s 5 000 litre improperly secured water-tank fell on their two-roomed cottage yesterday early morning.

Tendai Matumba was pronounced dead on arrival at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.

The other family members are still receiving treatment at the same hospital.

In October last year, tragedy struck two Chitungwiza families when a neighbour’s galvanised steel stand gave in to the weight of a loaded 5 000 litre water tank and collapsed on three children, resulting in the death of two of them and hospitalisation of the third

Tragedy struck around 4am at House number 11919 Rujeko township in Chinhoyi when the family members were sleeping.

The family’s landlord, Ms Sibisisiwe Nyamachewa said she was awakened by a loud bang and screams.

“It was around 4am when I heard a loud bang followed by cries of a woman, asking for help. I sensed danger and rushed to investigate.

“When I got out ( of the main house), I realised that the 5 000-litre tank had fallen on the cottage and neighbours were rescuing the family members.

“They had managed to retrieve Tendai while others were attending to the father and other family members,” she said.

The tank that was full of water destroyed the room in which the family was sleeping.

When The Herald visited the house, bricks and pieces of asbestos from the destroyed room told the horrific story that the family went through. A neighbour, Ms Colleta Dhiori who assisted the family had this to say:

“Tendai was badly injured. Her head was deformed and she sustained multiple fractures. We rushed her to the hospital although there were no signs of life.

“The father could not believe what had happened to his daughter when we showed him her face.

“The other family members were in a stable condition when we left them at the hospital although the mother complained of pain on the right hand and leg,” she said.

Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Margaret Chitove said investigations were underway to ascertain how the tank fell.

Makonde development coordinator and Civil Protection Unit district chairperson, Mr Benjamin Zivanai said the incident was unfortunate.

“This is an unfortunate incident and we want the local authority to monitor and approve the installation of water tanks to avoid loss of life,” Mr Zivanai said.

Mrs Madhishi, the neighbour whose water tank brought misery to Matumba’s family, denied to speak to the media while her son, Simbarashe said the tank was installed in May last year.- The Herald