One student has died from a lightning bolt which struck him in his sleep in Umlazi, Durban.
The Mangosuthu University of Technology issued a statement following the death of the student after Friday’s thunderstorm.
According to the statement, Mpumezi Mndwetywa, a 3rd year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering died after he succumbed to the burn wounds he sustained following the severe lightning storm that residents in Durban experienced on Friday night.
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The Office of the Dean of Students, Dr Thembi Kweyama said Mndwetywa was asleep in his room when he was struck by a bolt of lightning.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to report to you that we lost one of our students,” said Kweyama.
She said the storm resulted in a fire affecting some of the rooms on the 3rd floor of Craiglee, an external university residence in Glenwood.
Sadly, Mndwetywa was asleep in his room when he was struck by a bolt of lightning. We pray that his soul rests in peace,” said Kweyama.
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She said student counselling will issue notices in due course regarding counselling services that will be available for all those students affected by this tragedy.