Lightning strikes man to death

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Lightning

A 25 year-old man who was among people digging a grave has died after being struck by lightning that was accompanied by heavy rains in Dedza district.

Deputy spokesperson for Dedza police constable Cassim Manda confirmed the incident.

Manda identified the deceased as Numeyere Kamtande of Dambo village, Traditional Authority Kaphuka in the district.

LightningAccording to Manda, the incident occurred at Dambo village on 19th November at about 12 noon when the deceased together with friends were selected to dig the grave.

As they were digging, heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorm started. The deceased and friends decided to stand under a big tree waiting for the rains to cease but lightning struck at Kamtambe who died on the spot.

Meanwhile, Manda has advised people in the district to avoid sitting under trees during rainstorms as one way of avoiding such accidents.

“Trees are frequent conductors of lightning to the ground, but since sap is a relatively poor conductor, its electrical resistance causes it to be heated explosively into steam which blows off the bark outside the lightning’s path that can cause injuries to someone who is close to the trees,” said constable Manda.

He also advised people in the district to be indoors any time they observe a thunder.

Last month on 29 October 2016, one person was killed while 106 people were affected in many ways after 23 houses got damaged by hailstorm that hit Kamenya Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chilikumwendo in Dedza.