Tragedy In Mbare: Four-Year-Old Dies After Being Hit By Tombstone

Mbare Boy Dies After Being Struck By Tombstone

A community in Mbare is in mourning after a tragic accident claimed the life of a young boy. The four-year-old child, aged four years and seven months, died after a tombstone he leaned on for balance toppled over and struck him. The devastating incident occurred on Friday,17 October 2025, while he was with his father, who was shopping for a memorial tombstone.

A Fatal Moment Of Balance

According to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the boy had accompanied his father to a vendor selling tombstones at the corner of Ninth Street and Mushongandebvu Street, Mbare.

The police detailed what happened:

“The ZRP reports a sad incident in which a male infant aged four years, seven months died after he was hit by a tombstone at corner Ninth Street and Mushongandebvu Street, Mbare, Harare, on 17/10/25.”

Police confirmed that the child stumbled and attempted to steady himself by holding onto one of the tombstones on display. The heavy slab fell over, striking him on the head.

The police added:

“The victim had accompanied his father to buy a tombstone when he tripped and tried to balance by holding a tombstone on display. The tombstone then fell and hit him on the head. The victim died upon admission at a hospital in Harare.”

The news of the accident has shaken the Mbare community. Social media platforms were filled with condolence messages following the police announcement.

The area is known for informal vendors selling tombstones and other memorial items.

Child safety advocates have also reacted to the accident, stressing the importance of secure displays for heavy objects.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police have not released further details about the investigation. The family is now preparing for a funeral under deeply painful circumstances.