Hailstorm causes blackout in Hwange

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

A HAILSTORM hit Hwange urban on Tuesday, blowing off roofs and uprooting trees as well as felling power lines.

No one was injured, although many houses had their roofs blown off in Empumalanga, DRC and Bagdad suburbs.

A family in Empumalanga is lucky to be alive after an electricity transformer fell onto their house leaving wires hanging dangerously over the house, but there were no sparks because power went off as soon as the strong winds started.

Some roads were barricaded as big trees were uprooted and fell across roads.

Hwange Local Board-run Nechibondo Primary School in Empumalanga was also damaged as the strong winds blew off classroom blocks’ roofs, the local authority said on its official Twitter page.

Most parts of Hwange remained without electricity as a result until Wednesday night after Zesa and Hwange Local Board workmen teamed up to clear trees off power lines and fix the poles that had collapsed.

Dozens of houses including Assemblies of the God Church building had their roofs blown off.

HLB chief executive officer Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose said the local authority was in the process of assessing the extent of the damage.

HLB Ward 4 Councillor Absalom Kwenda said a tree that was uprooted at the intersection of Independence Drive and Empumalanga Road fell on the electricity power lines and caused a blackout.

“It was very windy and, in some places, there was hail. A lot of houses were damaged and some lost roofs. A transformer also landed on a house.

“Zesa and HLB joined forces and cut the tree and electricity was restored,” he said.

Some parts of Victoria Falls and surrounding areas were yesterday still without electricity

Following strong winds that blew across the area on Wednesday afternoon.

“Shana Road was blocked as many trees were uprooted and fell on the roads. A mopani tree was uprooted at a certain house and it missed the house by a few inches as it landed on the road,” she said.

Rains accompanied by thunder and lightning have been falling in many parts of the country and in some cases, people and livestock have been struck by lightning. — @ncubeleon