A 12 year old boy, Watson Matolabasi, has died after a heap of soil collapsed on him while he was playing in an abandoned mining pit at Nyuwani village, Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje district.
The incident occurred on 19 June 2026 at around 6:00 pm. Waston Matolabasi was the son of Mr Robert Matolabasi, aged 49, of Nyuwani Village who reported the incident.
According to reports, Watson was playing with his friends in a pit that had been abandoned by illegal miners. While they were inside the pit, a heap of soil that was positioned above it accidentally collapsed and buried the boy.
People nearby rushed to the scene and managed to retrieve him from the pit. However, he had already died by the time he was rescued.
The matter was reported to Chiromo police post, who visited the scene together with a clinical officer. After examining the body, the clinical officer confirmed the death and established that the cause of death was suffocation due to the soil collapse.
Police suspect no foul play in the incident and have since advised communities to keep children away from abandoned mining sites and other dangerous areas.
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