By Yang Ater Yang
Three children, including two girls and one boy, have drowned in a water-filled excavation pit in Rumbek Central County, Lakes State, in a tragic incident that has renewed concerns over the dangers posed by abandoned construction sites.
According to police, the children were found submerged at the bottom of the pit after family members launched a search for them.
The spokesperson for the Lakes State Police Service, Lt. Col. Elijah Mabor Makuac, told No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Monday that the incident occurred in Chai-Agok Village under Matangai Payam on Saturday afternoon.
He said the three children, all from the same family, had gone to graze goats near an excavation pit that had been left behind by a road construction company. The pit had filled with stagnant water and had become a common watering point for livestock.
“This hole filled with stagnant water after it was dug by a road construction company. Children who graze goats and cattle often take their animals there to drink,” Makuac said.
“Unfortunately, the children decided to jump into the water to play and swim, and they drowned.”
He said the tragedy occurred at about 4:00 p.m., and no one was nearby to rescue them.
Makuac warned that similar incidents have become increasingly common across Lakes State.
“This is not only happening in Rumbek Central County. We have recorded several cases of children drowning in water-filled excavation pits across the state,” he said.
He urged parents to closely supervise their children and educate them about the dangers of swimming in abandoned excavation pits.
“Communities living near these pits should work together to ensure they are fenced off or that children are warned to stay away from them. The bottom of these pits is muddy, and once someone sinks, it becomes extremely difficult to come out alive,” he said.
The police spokesperson recalled a similar incident last year in Cueiadukan Payam, where a Primary Eight pupil drowned in another excavation pit.
“I called for support from UNMISS, and we searched for the body, but we could not recover it until the following morning when it floated to the surface,” he said. “This has become a serious issue, and public awareness is urgently needed to prevent further loss of life.”
Makuac said no criminal case has been opened against the construction company because it was carrying out public road works using local materials.
“There has been no case opened against the company because it was providing a public service by constructing roads,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Lakes State Coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), Daniel Laat Kon, expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and called for immediate government action.
“CEPO is deeply disturbed and saddened by the drowning of three children in road excavation pits in Mading and Adol villages of Rumbek Central County,” Kon said.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the entire community affected by this tragic loss. No child should lose their life because of a preventable hazard.”
Kon said the abandoned excavation pits have become death traps due to the lack of safety measures.
“The absence of safety barriers, warning signs, and proper site management demonstrates a serious failure in the duty of care and a disregard for community safety,” he said.
He urged the government to investigate the incident, hold the responsible construction company accountable, and enforce strict safety standards for all construction projects.
Kon also called for mandatory fencing of excavation sites, backfilling of pits after construction is completed, compensation for the affected families, and psychosocial support for the grieving community.
In addition, he urged the government to direct all road construction companies to conduct a nationwide safety audit of their sites and secure all open pits, ditches, and other hazardous areas within 14 days to prevent similar tragedies.