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

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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

Comments from iFeng:

凤凰网山东省菏泽市网友 不行就不行吧:

I feel like I’m going to go crazy… Little children are so heart-breaking. Those who are mothers can’t handle this.

凤凰网北京市网友 手机用户:

Left Behind Children need our attention! Stop talking about spaceships, aircraft carriers and garbage football/soccer all the time.

凤凰网河北省网友 xingyhu:

China’s policies should be changed. Reduce the restrictions on hukou, reduce the numbers of left-behind children, and only then can tragedies like this be reduced.

凤凰网内蒙古网友 baoht:

This old woman isn’t pitiful—she’s hateful [to be blamed]!

凤凰网湖北省武汉市网友 凤凰网友: (responding to above)

Is your heart twisted? Why is this old grandma hateful? She’s so old that she should be enjoying life, yet she must help to take care of three children. Now the children are dead, she has exhausted herself for nothing and still she has to bear a the-old-burying-the-young kind of result.

凤凰网湖南省益阳市网友 wosty0716: (responding to baoht)

It is easy for you to say so. Forget about three children, dare you try to raise just one?

凤凰网湖南省长沙市网友 铁子d:

I’ve said countless times, swimming must be set as a required course starting from elementary school!! Children who can’t swim should not be allowed to graduate!! Only this way can we limit drowning tragedies to its minimum!! iFeng just don’t want me to post it!!

凤凰网河南省郑州市网友 凤凰网友:

Seeing this piece of news early in the morning makes my heart ache terribly. What is going on? What is going wrong?!

凤凰网广东省佛山市网友 yongming2005:

Such a tragedyl! Who can bear a blow like this?!

Safety education for children really can’t be neglected.

凤凰网广东省东莞市网友 dahewj:

So cruel, I can’t bear to read this.

Comments from QQ:

腾讯网友 文文静静:

Heartbreaking. Really, seeing a report like this in the morning. Children, rest in peace. The wage-earning class is just like this, make a living by getting separated from their children.

腾讯网友 骷髅恋:

After reading this, I’m very sad. What poor children! What a poor grandmother!

腾讯网友 爱的天使:

I feel a little bit like crying. I don’t know what I feel about this, my heart hurts so much.

腾讯网友 　 :

Why do disasters always befall a fragile old woman? God is so unfair.

腾讯网友 8415583:

This is so cruel, nothing hurts more than losing a family member, not to mention to lose three at the same time… heartbreaking.

腾讯网友 *^_^*:

How are their parents going to face this?

腾讯网友 844927214:

Poor old lady, poor parents, poor children!

腾讯网友 狼外婆:

When will the tragedies stop? Why does it always happen to kids from poor families?

腾讯网友 生命可以燃烧几何:

Water is ruthless! The weather is hot, be careful!!