Two related under five girls have died after drowning in a pond in Mangochi, police confirmed on New Year’s Day.

Four-year-old Lavita Kazembe and Aisha Mtewa, three, went missing on Monday afternoon, December 31, according to Mangochi Police Public Relations Officer, Inspector Rodrick Maida.

“Mr. Mtewa Mndala, an uncle to the deceased persons, reported to police that when the two went missing, a search was instituted and the bodies of Lavita and Aisha were found floating in a nearby pond at around 4pm,” Maida said.

Maida said the incident occurred at Ngoyi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda.

He added that autopsy conducted at Mangochi District Hospital established that death was due to suffocation.

The death of the two brings the number of drowning cases to nine in the year just ended alone.

In October 2018, Maida told Malawi News Agency (Mana) that drowning cases in the year had reached seven.

Meanwhile, police in the district have since advised parents and guardians to look after young ones to avoid similar accidents.