Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A woman from Hwange was electrocuted by a naked electricity cable she had allegedly illegally connected to a fowl run at her house, Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed.
Lilian Mhlanga (41) of Madumabisa village was confirmed dead upon arrival at St Patrick’s Hospital following the incident that happened last Thursday, Chronicle reported. Insp Banda said:
I can confirm that we received a report of a woman who was electrocuted by an electricity cable. Lilian Mhlanga of Madumabisa village Hwange, was electrocuted after she tried to switch on a light in her fowl run intending to give feed to the chicks.
Lilian Mhlanga was then taken to St Patrick’s Hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
He said Mhlanga’s daughter discovered her mother’s lifeless body and alerted neighbours who rushed her to the hospital where she was confirmed dead upon arrival.
It is alleged that on Thursday, and at around 7 pm, Mhlanga entered a fowl run intending to feed her chickens.
She attempted to switch on a light inside the fowl run and was shocked and fell down.
Police said her daughter upon realising that an unusually long time had passed before she could return, followed her to the fowl run to check on her and found her lying on the floor.
The informant touched her by hand and was also shocked by the electricity.
She alerted neighbours who tripped the electricity mains in the house and accessed the body.
He said police and electrical engineers from Hwange Colliery Company Limited which administers the area attended the scene and observed that the electricity connection from the house to the fowl run was illegal.
Some wires were also not insulated.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) says illegal connections are among the major causes of recorded electricity accidents in the country.
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