In a tragic incident in Katima Mulilo, Namibia, four young children, aged between three and six, suffocated after becoming trapped in an old, unused freezer while playing.
The heart-wrenching event occurred in the densely populated northeastern Zambezi Region. Preliminary investigations by Namibian police indicate that the children were playing inside the freezer, which had a latch that could only be opened from the outside. As a result, they were trapped for approximately an hour and a half.
Two of the children were found deceased at the scene, while the other two were rushed to Katima Mulilo State Hospital, where they were declared dead upon arrival.
Aranges Shoro, one of the victims’ fathers, described the discovery, saying, “I was informed that one of the other parents went searching for the children and noticed their shoes next to the freezer. When they opened it, they found the children inside.”
Zambezi regional police commander Andreas Shilelo confirmed that the children had suffocated due to being locked inside the freezer. “The freezer had a hook that could only be opened from the outside. They were trapped for about an hour and a half before they suffocated,” he said.
The freezer, which had been left outside one of the families’ homes, had not been secured or removed, raising concerns about why the non-functional appliance was left accessible. Namibian authorities are continuing their investigation into this tragic incident.
