Two male juveniles in Mwinilunga district in Northwestern province have died on the spot while two others have sustained burns after being struck by lightning during rains experienced in the district yesterday.
Nicholas Kawayangu 17 and Modestar Santoka 12, both of Chitambala village in Sailunga chiefdom, met their fate while at a traditional initiation camp for boys locally known as Mukanda.
North-western Province Police Commanding Officer, Robson Moonga, confirmed the incident in a media statement to ZANIS and named the survivors as Kebby Santonka aged 10 and Herrison Kawayangu aged 15.
“This occurred on 18th September, 2022 around 16:00 hours at village Musela Nyangombe area in chief Sailunga in Mwinilunga,” he said.
Mr. Moonga said around 19:00 hours on the same day, a relative to the deceased, Fredson Santoka 32, reported that his four male relatives, who were undergoing a traditional initiation practice called Mukanda, had been struck by lightning.
He said acting on the report, police visited Mwinilunga district hospital where they found the deceased, Modestar Santoka with a swollen chest and Nicholas Kawayangu with burns on the left side of the rib cage.
Mr. Moonga said Kebby Santoka survived with burns on the belly and is in a critical condition while Herrison Kawayangu complained of general body pains but is in stable condition.
He said the two survivors are admitted to Mwinilunga district hospital while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in mortuary at the same institution awaiting burial.
