Two girls, man, killed by lightning in Dowa and  woman in Phalombe just on Monday alone

Three people in Dowa and a woman in Phalombe have died after being struck by lightning following heavy rains on Monday — prompting the police to warn the public not to seek shelter under trees or being on bare grounds when its raining.

Police in Dowa identified the deceased as Bridget Richard (15) and Mericy (16), both of Dzuwa Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwere, and 21-year-old man Greysom Dalileni of Mkuwani Village, T/A Mkukula.

Dowa police spokesperson, Gladson M’bumpha said the two young girls met their fate while seeking shelter from rain under a tree while Dalileni was struck by lightning at Mkuwani village where he and his friend were planting maize at a garden.

M’bumpha said the two girls accompanied by their 14-year-old relation, Derbe Robert to Chikuse village to draw water from a borehole when heavy rains started.

“The children decided to seek shelter under a tree and this is where lightning accompanied by thunderstorm hit them, leaving them unconscious,” he said.

M’bumpha said after few minutes, Robert regained consciousness and realized that her two friends were still unconscious and rushed to call for help and were rushed to Grace Alliance Health Centre where they were pronounced dead.

A postmortem conducted at the health facility established the deaths to have been due to electric shock caused by lightning.

On Dalileni, M’bumpha said and his 17-year-old friend Alex Christopher were at the garden planting maize when rains started at around noon and lightning hit them, leaving them both unconscious.

“Later, Christopher regained consciousness but Dalileni remained lying down. Christopher went on to inform the village chief who mobilized for Dalileni to be rushed to Chezi Mission Hospital, where death was confirmed as due to electric shock, secondary to lightning,” said M’bumpha.

In Phalombe, 60-year-old Edna Jonas was struck on her way back from her garden, Phalombe Police Station public relations officer, Sergeant Jimmy Kapanja said — identifying the deceased as from Chitimbe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mkanda in Mulanje.

Kapanja said “at around 12 noon, the deceased went to the field together with her husband and the deceased together with her family members decided to go back home because it started raining”.

“On her way back home the deceased used a short cut that connects to the main road. Unfortunately, she was struck by lightning and died on the spot.”

Kapanja said the body of the deceased was found by passers-by who informed authorities in the village and they reported the matter to Mulomba Police Unit.

“The police, in the company of medical personnel rushed to the scene and postmortem conducted established that death was due to electrocution.”

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