9 year old suffocates in a heap of sand
Community members reportedly fetch sand from the area and it has turned into a play area for children.
A nine-year-old boy, Sunshine Vuma suffocated to death when the heap of sand in which he was playing on a field near Hectorspruit collapsed in on him on Sunday.
According to Const Natacia Mbuyane of Komatipoort SAPS, the boy and a few friends were playing in the sand in which they dug a tunnel.
“When he tried to crawl out again, the tunnel collapsed and he was buried inside. The police were notified and an inquest was opened. After investigation by the police, the incident was ruled a tragic accident,”she said.
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Mbuyane stated that the heaps of sand are situated in no-man’s land in a field near a river and cannot be further safeguarded. Community members reportedly fetch sand from the area and it has turned into a play area for children.
She urged parents to keep an eye on their children when they play.
