The incident took place on Sunday (10/11) afternoon in Ward 16, Welkom, where two young boys aged 10 and 11 drowned at a construction site flooded with water. The incident occurred at approximately 15:45 near Setshabelo School in Thabong, leaving the community in shock and raising serious concerns about safety protocols at construction sites.

According to Free State police spokesperson Stephen Thakeng, four boys were walking near the flooded road when two slipped and fell into the water-filled pit. The remaining boys ran home to alert their families. Community members quickly rushed to the site and attempted to rescue the trapped children. However, despite their efforts, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel arrived and certified both children deceased upon arrival.

An inquest has been launched to investigate the tragic incident. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Vaal Central Water (VCW) expressed their shock and sorrow over the accident, which claimed the lives of the two children. 

Some say the boys attempted to swim in the flooded excavation, unaware of the risks involved. DWS and VCW extended their condolences to the families, assuring that a thorough investigation is underway.

Vaal Central Water spokesperson, Lindiwe Mguni, stressed the importance of community awareness around construction zones, especially those filled with water after recent rainfall. Mguni appealed to parents to keep children away from open water bodies and construction sites, emphasising that these areas pose significant risks of drowning, especially following heavy rains.

The construction pit where the tragedy occurred is part of the sewer network repairs project within Matjhabeng Local Municipality. The project falls under the department of water and sanitation’s ministerial intervention, with VCW overseeing its implementation. 

Mguni confirmed that the appointed project contractor would also be included in the investigation.

The project came under the spotlight when an unknown man took a video and posted it on TikTok, complaining about Matjhabeng’s poor service delivery and unfinished projects. 

Hours later another video of an old woman who had to bear the ordeal of living inside a house full of sewage spillage in Virginia, also circulated on social media platforms. The provincial government visited the elderly woman’s home and assisted her.

Last week Odendaalsrus resident Liezel Graaff shared her personal struggles with members of the legislature, revealing how she had been forced to store water in her bathtub, but eventually had to vacate her home due to prolonged water outages.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg