lightning
Four people, including a mother and her child, died on Wednesday afternoon in Masvingo South after they were struck by lightning in their hut during a thunderstorm, NewsDay has been told.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula referred all questions to national police spokesperson, Superintendent Paul Nyathi, who could not be reached by the time of going to print.

However, villagers from the area confirmed the incident giving the names of the deceased as Gladys Pasvana (38), her child

Dalliet Mpofu (12), her niece Rejoice Sibanda (4) and a neighbour's child, Lucia Magwiridze (12), who had sought shelter at the homestead while coming from school when it started raining.

Pasvana's other child, Noster Mpofu (nine), suffered severe burns and was admitted at Morgenster Mission Hospital where her condition was said to be serious while the others who were in the same hut were unscathed.

"The incident occurred around 3pm when it started raining. There were nine people in the hut. It is a very unfortunate incident and we have been plunged into mourning since the deceased are all from Village Six, Tokwane Ngundu under Chief Nyajena," a source said.

The deceased became the first casualties of lightning in Masvingo this year.

Last rainy season, 11 people in the province were killed by lightning, according to figures from the police.