In devastating news coming in from Zimbabwe, two families in Chitungwiza have suffered a horrible tragedy when their children died after a neighbour’s water stand collapsed and fell on them.

A third child was injured and hospitalized when the stand collapsed under the weight of the 5000-litre tank.

9-year-old Trinity Saungweme and 18-month-old Colleen Kamonere died as a result of the collapse. Trinity’s brother, 7-year-old Thulani suffered a fractured leg after the force of the water threw him some paces from where he was playing.

Thulani was briefly hospitalised at Chitungwiza Central Hospital but has since been discharged after the doctors put a cast on his leg. He is now recovering at home.

At the time of the horrible incident, Trinity’s father Mr Challenge Saungweme (31) was in the company of his friend Mr Gumisai Kamonere, Colleen’s father, at a nearby car park.

“When I got to our street, which is only about 300 metres from the car park where my friends and I were whiling away time, my worst fears were confirmed. Hordes of people were milling around in a clear sign of things gone wrong and there was a bloodied pool of water running down the street,”

The two learned that the children had already been taken to Chitungwiza Central Hospital. At the hospital, they learned the tragic news of the death of their children.

Collen was Kamonere’s only child.

Taipa Ganda (31), the neighbour whose tank collapsed on the children was devastated by the incident and said that he only installed the tank last month.

He is helping the two grief-stricken families with the expenses.

He is reported to have footed Thulani’s hospital bills, provided money for Colleen’s coffin, and met other funeral expenses so far incurred by the two families.