A one-and-half year old boy in Mponela, Dowa District, has drowned in a well after slipping from his mother’s back.

The child is identified as Adam Andrea of Kaphirikwete Village under Traditional Authority Mponela in the district.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at about 14:00 hours at Kaphirikwete Village.

It is said that the deceased mother was drawing water from a well which is about 8:35 metres deep.

In the course of drawing water, the wrapper (chitenje) she strapped her child with got loose and resulted into the baby falling into the well.

She called for help and people came but it was too late to save the child.

The villagers retrieved the body of the child before reporting to Mponela Police Station.

Detectives accompanied by a medical officer from Mponela Rural hospital visited the scene.

Postmortem conducted revealed that death was due to suffocation secondary to drowning.