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Crime Reporter
SEVEN people, six children and an adult, were killed when lightning struck two huts on Monday afternoon in Bikita. The incident occurred at Mugwinyi Village under Chief Mazungunye.

The deceased have been identified as Marian Nebvuma (32), Fadzai Chenjerai (11), Gloria Chenjerai (5), Odrey Masunda (4), Esther Muchakagara (5), Claudia Mugwinyi (4) and Crywind Mugwinyi (6).

Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday confirmed the incident.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to confirm the death of seven people after being struck by a bolt of lightning at Mugwinyi Village, Chief Mazungunye area, Bikita.

“Circumstances are that February 2, 2015 at about 4:30pm, Marian Nebvuma (32) was in her thatched bedroom hut while all the other deceased were in a thatched kitchen hut.

“A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the bedroom and kitchen huts at Nebvuma’s homestead. All the occupants in the two huts died on the spot,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the bodies of the deceased were taken to Silveira Mission Mortuary.

Meanwhile, police in Harare yesterday said they had located the person who was reportedly missing and no major incidents were recorded following the floods caused by heavy rains that pounded Harare on Sunday.

Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said they identified the driver as Nichodimus Ndlovu (51) of number 17815 Stoneridge in Harare.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to advice that the owner of the Toyota Corolla Reg ACK5001 was located,” she said.

“Ndlovu was driving his motor vehicle along Heaney Road when he noticed that his car was being swept away by the floods.”

In an interview during a Joint Operation Command (JOC) tour of some of the areas that were flooded in the city, the Officer Commanding Harare province Senior Assistant Commissioner Shadreck Mubaiwa, urged people to avoid crossing flooded rivers and bridges. “So far we have accounted for all the persons that had been reported to be missing and there is no loss of life. We want to urge people not to cross water bodies and rivers as they risk their lives,” he said.

He said they had noted that some of the motorists were not patient during the heavy rains on Sunday since they attempted to drive through some of the flooded roads and bridges.

Snr Asst Comm Mubaiwa, who was accompanied by members from the JOC and Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs Cde Miriam Chikukwa, visited areas in Cold Comfort and Mabelreign.

Cde Chikukwa said she had noted that some of the people in Cold Comfort were allocated stands by the Harare City Council on wetlands.

“I would like to urge the Harare City Council officials to ensure that before they allocate stands to people they should do thorough checks. We cannot stop the rains but at least we should have preventive measures,” she said. She said some of the people living in the area were allocated stands by the city council while others were given by housing cooperatives. Cde Chikukwa urged people to avoid stream bank cultivation.

On Sunday, one person reportedly went missing along Bulawayo Road near Cold Comfort while several others were rescued from inside and on top of their vehicles following floods caused by heavy rains that pounded the capital.

Other people were marooned at different points and were forced to wait for many hours for the water to subside.

Several houses in Mabelreign, Ashdown Park, Westlea and Tynwald were also affected by rising water levels while several people were rescued.