Budiriro girl (6) missing following heavy rains, 15 houses submerged in water

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) says that 15 houses were partially submerged in water in Budiriro after recent heavy rains leaving several people stranded and a six-year-old girl missing.

A police report says several people from the Budiriro 4 Paddock area in Harare were stranded but were rescued by the ZRP Sub-Aqua Unit. Read the report:

The ZRP reports a sad incident where nearly 15 houses were submerged in water in Budiriro 4 Paddock area, Harare. Several people were marooned and rescued by ZRP Sub-Aqua Unit while a six-year-old minor is missing after heavy rains which pounded Harare and surrounding areas last night and today. The ZRP Sub-Aqua Unit has also rescued 19 families in Kuwadzana Extension where some houses had been submerged in water.

Every year, more than 50 families in Budiriro face floods because their houses are built in wetlands. The majority of wetlands invaders just construct houses without permission while some buy land from landbarons who are also not authorised to sell it by the local government. As a result, thousands of people have lost their homes over the years when the authorities demolished their structures. Sadly, they are not compensated or given new land. Urban and semi-urban areas suffer from a severe housing shortage due to the influx of people moving to cities.