A police officer stationed at Cowdray park police base in Bulawayo was struck and killed by lightning yesterday while taking a walk walking with his girlfriend near Ezimhlophe secondary school.
“The ZRP reports a sad incident in which Peter Gwaza (42) and his girlfriend Priority Dube (30) were struck by a bolt of lightning on 03/01/23 while walking along a footpath in Cowdray Park,” the police said in a statement.
“Peter Gwaza died on the spot while Priority Dube sustained burns on the stomach and bruises on hands and face”.
Cowdray Park councillor Kidwell Mujuru said the two were walking past Ezimhlophe secondary school when the disaster struck.
“The police officer was walking past Ezimhlophe secondary school together with a woman, they were hit by lightning and the police officer died on the spot while the woman sustained some burns and was taken to hospital. The police officer was based at Cowdray police base,” said Mujuru
He said so far five people have been struck by lightning in the suburb which claimed two lives while three sustained injuries.
“Last year a builder was struck by lightning while they were building a house near TM supermarket, he died on the spot, two women were also struck while ploughing in their fields, they sustained injuries and the latest incident is the one that happened yesterday,” he said.
