TWO people have died in mysterious circumstances in Rukwa Region, including a Form Two student from Kabwe Secondary School in Lake Tanganyika shores, who was mauled by a crocodile in Nkasi District.
The student, Maiko Kanyeta died after the animal attacked him, when he was washing his school uniforms at the lake.
Reached for a comment, Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC) Mr Justine Masonje over phone confirmed the deaths to the ‘africa-press’ in Kabwe Ward.
Equally, the Kabwe Ward Councillor, Mr Asante Lubisha over the phone confirmed the deaths, saying: “It forced Kabwe residents to retrieve the body of Maiko on next day and bury him on the same day …as per available data here, 14 people have been killed by crocodiles since 2010, and last year four were killed by crocodiles many in the lake.”
In another incident, Onso Kina (25) a fisherman from Korongwe Ward drowned in the lake while fishing with his colleagues at the sides of Kabwe Ward.
Narrating the tragedy, Mr Lubisha said that the fishermen abruptly realized a sudden weather change that forced their boat to capsize and in the course, Kina died.
“They managed to turn up the canoe and settled on it, but Kina realized that his pair of sandals were missing and could be seen floating. He then dived into the water to retrieve it, but died in the course,” said the councillor.
In a related scene, a St Aggrey Secondary School former student, Maiko Aron (20) attempted suicide by swallowing gramaxone ground drugs used to kill weeds in Sumbawanga Municipality.
The story went viral in the social media that the boy attempted suicide after getting Fourth Division in his Form Four National Examination last year against his expectations.
Meanwhile, in the entourage of the Deputy Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of State- President Office- Regional Authority and Local Government – (Tamisemi) Dr Dorothy Gwajima in Rukwa Region, her Information Officer, Mr Atley Kinu confided to this paper that they were shocked to have seen more than 20 dead cattle bodies scattered on their way after being struck by lightning.
“We were greatly shocked and thought that the thunder was targeting us on the Highway that links Rukwa and Katavi region at Kantawa village, about 25 kilometres away from Namanyere,” he added.
Reached for a comment, the RPC said: “No one was so far killed in the scene, where a herd of more than 20 cattle were struck by lightning.”
On his part, Rukwa Regional Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Boniface Kasululu called upon the residents to refrain from eating such carcasses, because they may have health problems to them.
