adminTemba Dube Senior Reporter
A BULAWAYO man who died after his bowels were ripped open by an explosion from a boiler will be buried at his rural home in Rusape today. Claudius Makumbe was speared by a 10kg cylinder from the boiler that blasted through the roof of the workshop at Driveshaft Centre and rocketed 200 metres onto the roof at OK Mart on Tuesday morning.
His pelvis was shattered leaving his intestines and lungs protruding.
Makumbe died at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) from the severe injuries about an hour later.
His aunt, Kate Makumbe, 54, said the family was devastated by the nature of his death.
“We are holding a funeral service at First Mutual Parlour today and we will leave for Rusape soon after. If everything goes according to plan, we should lay him to rest tomorrow,” said Makumbe.
“Everyone is still in shock about the way he died. He was a hardworking young man who was very good with his hands. He had just moved out from home to stay with a friend in Pumula South.”
Describing the accident, Brian Ngwenya, a colleague, said he heard a loud explosion at about 11AM and rushed into the workshop to find Makumbe lying in a pool of blood.
“It looked like one side of his body, from the knees to the ribcage, was missing. At that moment no one knew what had happened. An ambulance was called and he was rushed to hospital. He had started babbling,” said Ngwenya.
A comment could not be obtained from Zesa and National Social Security Authority (NSSA) officials who visited the scene to determine if working conditions at the Driveshaft Centre workshop were safe.
Online Reporter