Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed the incident. 
Patrick Chitumba-Midlands Bureau
FOUR children, aged between nine months and four years, were swept away after they fell asleep under a bridge while sheltering from the rain with their parents in Gokwe last Friday.
Midlands Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, confirmed the incident.
“The incident occurred at around 3.30am when a congregation of an apostolic church sect of about 20 people was praying near Tare Bridge along Gokwe-Siabuwa Road,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said seeking refuge from the initial light rain, the group took shelter under a dry bridge.
However, he said, as the rain intensified upstream, a sudden wave of flood-water swept in, catching them off guard.
Insp Mahoko said although the adults were able to wake up and rescue themselves, the four children tragically drowned.
“Two children are from Kamba Village and their names are Beauty and Devine Mavhiringani (9 months and 4 years old). The other two are Pamela Natare (1 year 9 months old) of Tsive Village and Effort Shava (3) of Mudzimiri Village.
“The bodies of Devine, Pamela and Effort were later found at the river bank between one kilometre and about 20 kilometres from Tare Bridge,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said a search is ongoing to locate Beauty’s body.
“The retrieved bodies were taken to Gokwe South District Hospital Mortuary and investigations are still underway,”he said.
The four children are part of the 40 people who have drowned across the country since the start of the rainy season, according to the police. Three other minors have also drowned taking to seven the number of children affected.
The Civil Protection Unit reported that heavy rainfall in Gokwe South, Midlands Province, caused the Tare River to flood its banks.
A group of members of the Johane Masowe eJerusalem Sect, who had taken shelter under the Tare River Bridge during a night vigil, were swept away by the floodwaters while asleep.
“Unfortunately, four minors, Muchiringani Devine (4), Muchiringani Beauty (9 months), Tsiva Pamela (20 months), and Shava Effort (3), lost their lives. Three bodies were retrieved, while the search for the remaining minor is ongoing.
“The Department of Civil Protection has facilitated the burial of the minors through Doves Funeral Services,” the CPU report stated.
According to the agency, since the start of the rainy season, Midlands has recorded the highest number of deaths, with 10 fatalities, followed by Manicaland Province, with eight.
Matabeleland North and South have recorded four each and Bulawayo Metropolitan two.
Mashonaland Central and Masvingo have also recorded four fatalities, Mashonaland East and West three each, while Harare is the only province with no reported deaths.
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