Boy Trapped and Killed by Falling Tree During Heavy Winds in Dowa

Malawi - Heavy winds on February 25, 2023, left an 11-year-old boy dead after a bluegum tree fell and trapped him by the neck, according to Sergeant Macpatson Msadala, the Public Relations Officer for Mponela Police Station.

The deceased has been identified as Wonderful Kalimwayi, a resident of Chimkoko village in Traditional Authority Kayembe in Dowa.

According to the father, Wonderful was in his boys' quarters when heavy winds and rainfall started.

The winds forced a nearby bluegum tree to fall and trap Wonderful, who was alone in the house.

His friends alerted his father, who discovered that the tree had followed the boy.

Efforts to rescue him were unsuccessful, and Wonderful was pronounced dead on the spot.

A postmortem conducted by a medical practitioner from Chisepo Health Centre established the cause of death as suffocation secondary to the pressure of the tree on his neck.

The incident was reported to the Chisepo Police Unit, and police officers visited the scene.

Police at Mponela in Dowa District are reminding parents and guardians to ensure that their young ones are indoors during similar weather conditions to avoid such accidents.