lightning
Lightning has struck four people dead and injured three others at Kasimu Trading Centre in the area of Senior Chief Chowe in Mangochi, police have confirmed.

Mangochi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub-Inspector Amina Tepani-Daudi said the incident occurred on Saturday evening in the wake of a heavy downpour.

Daudi said the seven were struck while they were closing their businesses due to heavy rains.

"The lightning struck all of them and they were rushed to Mangochi District Hospital where four were pronounced dead upon arrival," said Daudi, adding: "The other three victims escaped with minor wounds and were treated as outpatients."

She identified the four deceased as 72-year-old Tambula Usi, Ali Yusufu, 24, Enart Awali, 28, and Mina Biziwesi, 24.

Daudi said postmortem conducted on the four dead bodies at the hospital revealed that death was due to cardiogenic electric shock.

All the deceased and the three who sustained injuries hailed from Kasimu Village in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chowe in the district.