By Hou Akot Hou
A 17-year-old boy drowned last Friday while attempting to cross a river in Aweil North County to attend a function in Aweil Town.
According to Aweil North County Commissioner, Mr. Kiir Chan Wol, the incident occurred when the victim, identified as Diing Ngong Deng, was trying to cross the river in the early morning to get to Aweil.
“The incident happened when he told his father at 6:00 AM that he was going to Aweil Town, washed his face, got dressed, and tried to cross the river, where he unfortunately drowned,” said Commissioner Chan.
One of the victim’s cousins, Garang Deng called for support for the boy’s father, who is a teacher, to provide a proper burial as salaries continue to delay.
“The sad part is that the boy’s family is poor, as his father is a teacher, and we all know the difficult conditions teachers are facing. He may not be able to afford a proper burial service,” Deng said, appealing to the government to assist the family in this tragic incident.
Residents in the area have reported that this is the sixth incident where locals have lost their lives while attempting to cross the river during the rainy season.
Authorities are now urging the local community to exercise caution and avoid travelling to areas that are submerged during the rainy season.