adminCrime Reporter
Eight people have died countrywide after they were struck by lightning in separate incidents in two days. Police have urged people to take precautionary measures to avoid being struck by lightning. In a statement, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said the fatalities were recorded as from Sunday. “With the onset of the rains, we urge people to be cautious about the dangers associated with lightning. Since December 13, 2015 we have had eight fatalities as a result of lightning.
“People should take precautionary measures such as avoiding contact with electrical gadgets and seeking shelter under isolated tall trees or other objects,” she said. She said motorists and members of the public should not attempt to cross flooded rivers and bridges.
“We also advise children not to swim in water bodies as they risk drowning or being swept away by water currents. In areas where floods might occur we urge people to move to safe ground,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.
She said roads were currently slippery due to oily surfaces which have been exacerbated by the current rains and this had resulted in a number of accidents being experienced countrywide.
In February, a lightning bolt killed four people and seriously injured three people in Maranda communal lands in Mwenezi.
The four died on the spot after being struck by the bolt in the Mangwerume area while the injured were rushed to Neshuro district hospital where they were in a serious condition.
Another lightning bolt killed seven people, six children and an adult, on the spot after striking two thatched huts that caught fire in Negovano communal lands in Bikita on February 2.
Online Reporter