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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

A 16-YEAR-OLD schoolboy was crushed to death when a teak tree fell on him as he was walking past a vegetable market in Victoria Falls, police confirmed yesterday.

The incident occurred at 12 midday on Thursday.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police are investigating the unfortunate incident.

“We confirm receiving a report about an incident which occurred at 12PM involving a Form Three pupil who was on his way home from school. The incident happened when he passed through a vegetable market and in the process he was crushed to death by a big tree that fell on him,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He identified the deceased, who was a pupil at Dadane Vocational College, as Steven Sibanda of Chinotimba suburb.

Asst Comm Nyathi said the big tree suddenly fell on the unsuspecting boy and he died on the spot.

His body was trapped under the fallen tree.

Residents who witnessed the incident said they heard a thunderous and deafening sound as the tree fell unexpectedly.

They said Steven was in the company of two schoolmates when the incident occurred.

The two schoolmates left him outside the vegetable market and on their way out they found him waiting for them. He allegedly started walking ahead in the direction of his home when the two classmates heard people shouting urging him to run away as the tree was falling.

The tree however, fell on him before he could react.

“We just heard a loud sound and thought some cars had collided. As we checked, the whole area was dusty. People started trickling in and crowded the place when they heard that there was a boy trapped underneath,” said an eye witness.

The Chronicle was told that the boy was carrying his school report in his hands as he had passed his end of year examinations and had been telling his friends that the first thing he would do upon arriving home was to show his mother.

Victoria Falls Municipal workers used an excavator to move the tree to remove his body.

When The Chronicle arrived at the scene, the tree had been moved a few metres away.

 Another one which had been closer to the one that fell on the boy had been cut down by municipal workers.

The body was taken to the mortuary. — @ncubeleon