By Mohammed Balu
Jitong, (UWR), July 27, GNA – Tragedy struck the Jitong community near Kupulima in the Sissala West District when two minors, male and female from the Jitong basic school, drowned in a flooded river while returning from the farm.
The deceased, Mumuni Asibu, five years and Mumuni Tasilima, seven years old got drowned between Jitong and Lan near Leo, en route to Burkina Faso.
The unfortunate incident occurred after the children from Jitong, who had accompanied their grandmother to the farm to plant rice, attempted to cross a flooded stream on their way home.
Mr Katara Batong, the Assembly member for the Fialibelle electoral area, told the GNA that the grandmother had left earlier with one of the children as it started raining, leaving the remaining four to return on a donkey cart.
The Assemblyman said, “Unaware of the flooded stream, two of the children disembarked from the cart to assess the situation, while the other two stayed aboard and attempted to cross the river with the donkey. Unfortunately, the rushing waters submerged the donkey cart, drowning both children and the donkey.
The two surviving children, without knowing what to do, ran in the rain that night to a nearby community to prompt them on what had befallen them.
A search party attempted to locate the children, but proved unsuccessful that night.
In the morning after the rainfall, the bodies of the deceased were recovered and had since been buried according to Islamic tradition.
The incident threw the community into mourning and raised concerns about the safety of children during the farming and the rainy season.
Mr Katara advised parents, “To ensure at all times they stay to make decisions for children and should not be left on their own anytime they go to the farm with children or any other activity they engage the children to do.”
The Assembly man also cautioned and advised community members to avoid attempting to cross rivers during or after heavy rains.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie