Lightning strikes mother and child near Nquthu

MTHOKOZISI Shabangu, 28, and his 3-year-old-daughter Ayabonga Shabangu of Mphondi area, were left in great distress after surviving a thunderstorm which took place on Saturday, December 20 in Nquthu.
Shabangu is said to have been walking with his girlfriend Nokubonga Sithole, 24, and their son, Ayabonga Shabangu, both of whom died, at the time when the incident occurred.

“I am still confused and shaking with fear when thinking about the tragedy,” Shabangu told the Dail News.
All I heard and saw was a roaring bolt of lightning… after a while I woke up and struggled to stand up. I felt weak on my knees. ” added a very shaken Shabangu.

The 28-year-old said that when he woke up, a lot of people had gathered to help, but it was too late for his girlfriend and son, who died instantly.

The family is said to have been walking to his nearby home. Shabangu was taken to Nquthu hospital and was discharged late the same evening.

“We were just strolling on the gravel road when a mild rain fell,” he said.

Three other people were seriously hurt in the same storm.

The KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, warned people to always be alert during thunderstorms.

“It is that time of the year when all of us need to be very cautious because of the weather. Our thoughts are with the families that have been affected by this incident and I would like to assure all members of the public that our disaster management centres have been activated and are more than ready to act when disasters strike,” Dube-Ncube said.

Media Liaison Officer for KZN Department of Health Emergency Medical Services, Robert Mckenzie, said paramedics responded to several weather related incidents in the north of KZN.

“In the first case, which occurred at about 5pm, on Saturday, December 20, three people, a lady of about 28 years of age, a 12 year old boy and a 5 year old girl were seriously injured after a lighting strike.
In a separate case in the evening, a woman in her 20s and a baby boy had sustained fatal injuries after being struck by lightning. A man estimated to be 28 years old and his 4 year-old daughter had sustained injuries, while several people who were in the group were not injured,” said McKenzie.

(image from Google images)