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Clothes believed to belong to two missing boys were found near a pond in Duduza, Ekurhuleni.
- Two Grade 5 pupils from Dan Radebe Primary School, aged nine and 11, were found dead in a pond near a construction site in Duduza, Ekurhuleni, after being reported missing.
- Emergency rescue teams retrieved the boys’ bodies on Friday morning, and police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
- The Gauteng Department of Education has sent counsellors to support the grieving school community.
Two Grade 5 pupils from Dan Radebe Primary School were found dead in a pond near a construction site in Duduza, Ekurhuleni, on Friday.
The bodies of the boys, aged nine and 11, were retrieved along Tonk Meter Road a day after they were reported missing.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi said disaster teams received a call around 08:00 on Friday.
“The rescue team from Duduza Fire Station swiftly responded to the call. On arrival, two sets of clothes that were found next to the pond were positively linked to the missing boys,” he added.
The rescue team later retrieved their bodies.
READ | Double tragedy: Two boys drown in Centurion after one pupil tried to save the other
The scene was handed over to the police for further investigation.
According to Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona, the pupils, who were close friends and in the same class, were suspected to have drowned.
“According to the community, this large, rain-filled pit, unsecured and unmarked, has become a hazardous attraction for informal swimming to children in the area,” Mabona said.
He added the department had dispatched counsellors to provide trauma counselling and support to affected pupils, teachers, and families.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane sent condolences to the pupils’ families, teachers, and friends.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said the police were investigating the deaths.
