Zimbabwe and South Africa police are collaborating to search for people who are reported to have drowned while crossing a the Limpopo River on Sunday.
So far one body has been retrieved at a crossing point near Maroy Farm some 40km west of Beitbridge town.
Efforts were by end of the day yesterday underway to retrieve two more bodies spotted on the deeper end of the South African side of the Limpopo River.
It is reported that divers from the two countries failed to retrieve the two bodies on Tuesday due to the high-water current in the river.
The police officer commanding Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said they were continuing with the efforts to retrieve the bodies.
He said the search was initiated on Monday after two women reported that their husbands had drowned near a crossing point closer to Nottingham Estate on Sunday.
“The divers came across the three bodies on Tuesday while searching for two men who were reported to have drowned on Sunday,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.
“However, the bodies we have spotted so far are not of those two men. As police, we are still treating them as missing persons. Searches are still on and efforts are being made to retrieve two more bodies that were seen at the same point at a deeper end”.
He said police suspect there could be more cases of drowning along the Limpopo River, where the level of water has relatively risen.
Police warned people against using illegal crossing points as they risk prosecution or drowning in the Limpopo River.
The latest drowning incidents come a few days after Zimbabwean security rescued six people who got stranded at a crossing point near Dulivhadzimu Gorge, after a wooden makeshift boat they were using capsized.
The group was part of 15 people who were dumped in the middle of the river by some criminals who were assisting them to cross.
The men ran away upon spotting some security officials who were patrolling near the crossing point
