The remains of Karabo Gwala, the three-year-old boy who had disappeared down a sewerage hole in Soweto while playing on Monday, were found on Thursday morning.
Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo confirmed on Thursday that a family representative had identified the body by clothing after it had been found at the Olifantsvlei waste treatment plant, about 10km from Dube, Soweto, where the boy had gone missing on Monday.
The remains were found at the Olifantsvlei sewerage outflow pipe in Nancefield, Soweto.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Jameel Chand explained that the Olifantsvlei treatment plant, south of Johannesburg, was approximately 10km from the hole Karabo fell into in Dube, Soweto.
Soweto police spokesperson Superintendent Richard Luvhengo said a postmortem would be done on Friday.
Asked whether the body was badly mutilated, Luvhengo answered: “We need to do DNA tests to identify the body. That should answer your question.”
More than 150 police and emergency service workers searched round the clock for him, based on information gleaned from his three-year-old friend, and treatment plant workers and rescuers monitored the outflow site since the massive operation began.
Jet vacuums had sucked debris out of the pipe and closed-circuit television cameras had been used in the search.
An urgent preliminary investigation by the Department of Labour has found that the company carrying out maintenance work at the site had violated health and safety regulations by not covering the hole or cordoning off the site.
In response, the department has issued a prohibition notice against the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council halting any further work at the site, besides the rescue operation, until the investigation is completed. — Sapa
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