Mt Darwin Horror: Cow Falls Into Well, Crushes Man to Death
In a shocking midday tragedy that has left a village reeling, a 21-year-old man from Mauswa in Mt Darwin was killed instantly when a cow fell on him inside a well as he fetched water for his family’s tobacco garden.
Forget Machado had gone to irrigate crops with his mother when two cows began fighting near the well — one lost balance and plunged in, landing fatally on him.
The incident unfolded as Forget and his mother, Fungai Chingwena (63), were drawing water from an open well about 30 meters from their garden.
While they worked, two cows wandered into the area and began fighting over a container of water nearby.
In the chaos, one of the animals slipped and fell into the well — directly onto Forget, who was inside collecting water.
Fungai screamed for help as nearby villagers rushed to the scene.
But by the time they arrived, Forget had already died from the impact.
Local resident Sudden Chawamana quickly alerted the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Dotito station.
Officers responded swiftly and confirmed the death before transferring the body to Karanda Mission Hospital.
Assistant Inspector Lucy Chigwenhese, spokesperson for the Mashonaland Central police, confirmed the incident occurred on October 22 and urged villagers to adopt safer water collection practices.
“People should use wells fitted with ropes and pulleys to avoid entering them,” she said.
she added, stressing the importance of fencing off wells to prevent animals from accessing them.
“Vanhu vanofanira kuisa ruzhowa pamatsime kuti mhuka dzisapinde.”
The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for rural safety awareness and infrastructure upgrades, especially in farming areas where human and livestock interactions are common.
As Mauswa mourns the loss of a young life, the incident stands as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by unprotected water sources.
-ZimquikNews
