3 ‘Left Behind Children’ Drown, Devastates Migrant Worker Family

[Rayden]

3 ‘Left Behind Children’ Drown, Devastates Migrant Worker Family

by Peter Barefoot on Saturday, June 29, 2013

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From iFeng:
Three “Left Behind” Brothers & Sister Drown

On June 26, at about 1pm, a tragedy happened in Nanchang City Honggutan New District Shengmi Town Wenqing Village. Left Behind Children [children of migrant workers who remains in their parents' hometowns often with grandparents or relatives while their parents find work in other parts of the country to support the family]—2 brothers and a sister—drowned while playing by the pool of water/pond/reservoir of water at the entrance of the village. Because no one had passed by at the time, it wasn’t until the body of the 5-year-old boy surfaced that people found out. This picture [above] is of the grandmother of the 3 brothers and sister crying her heart out in front of 3 refrigerated coffins.

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As it is understood, the oldest of them was 10-year-old boy Luo Zhikun, along with the 9-year-old sister Luo Danni, and the 5-year-old little brother Luo Zhimo. Both Luo Zhikun and Luo Danni were in their 3rd grade at elementary school, while the 5-year-old little brother Luo Zhimo was still in kindergarten. The area of the pond in which the tragedy took place is about 20-30 mu [unit of area, 1 mu=0.0667 hectare], and is located at the entrance of the village. The grandmother’s house is was located in the first row [of buildings] by the entrance of the village, and is the closest house to the pond. On the early morning of the 26th, after the grandmother made breakfast for the whole family, she even reminded her granddaughter Luo Danni that she and her big brother should return home with their little brother as soon as they finish their tests. She never thought that these would be the last words she would say to her grandchildren.

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According to the family members of the deceased children, the parents of the three brothers and sister used to work around the neighborhood, and were able to look after the children. But ever since last year, they have been working in a hotel in Zhuhai of Guangdong province, and the grandparents have become the ones who take care of the children. “Their grandfather is bedridden, although the grandmother is in good health, but she’s getting old.” According to the uncles of the deceased children, they heard that their older nephew and niece returned home after they finished the final tests, had called out for their grandmother, but found that she wasn’t home, so they along with their little brother went to play with water by the pond.

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“The 3 kids are all gone, we don’t even dare to tell their parents, we told them that only one of their kids drowned,” said the children’s relatives. The parents of the deceased children are currently rushing back.

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At the reservoir where the tragedy took place, there are no fences or any other protective measures at all.