A 23-year-old woman has died in Dowa after a soil wall fell on her when she was collecting soil to smear her house.

The deceased has been identified as Nasinale Kachingwe of Kavala Village in Traditional Authority Mkukula in the district.

The incident happened on Tuesday August 25 2020 at Kavala Village along Loyi River Bank.

Dowa Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sub Inspector Gladson M’bumpha said on the particular day, the deceased and her friends went to the river bank to collect soil used for furnishing their houses’ floors.

“Upon arrival, Kachingwe and her friends entered different caves and started collecting the soil. A few minutes later, one of the women heard a heavy noise of something falling down from an adjacent cave. This prompted her to go out of her cave and discovered that the wall of the soil had collapsed on her friend,” said M’bumpha.

He added, “She tried to rescue the deceased but she was already unconscious. Later, she reported the matter to village headman who mobilized people to rescue her.”

The victim was taken to Chankhungu Health Centre for treatment where she died upon arrival.

Postmortem conducted established that death was caused due to suffocation and suspected back injuries and no foul play suspected.