Shock as elderly woman dies in the rain

A 62-year-old elderly woman from Emakhandeni in Bulawayo was allegedly hit by a bolt of lightning while trying to hide from a heavy downpour, B-Metro reported.

It is alleged that Nomacala Dube was on her way home when it started raining. The rain was accompanied by lightning and thunder.

However, her family believes otherwise, insisting she suffered a fatal stroke. In an attempt to shield herself from the strong rains it is reported that Dube increased her pace and headed to a shed nearby, and that was where disaster struck.

"I just noticed MaDube falling down after a loud thunder as she was racing to that shed on the far end of the road. All this happened within a blink of an eye."

"We thought maybe she had tripped and was going to rise again, but we got scared when she lay motionless on the ground. That is when we realised that something was wrong," said one of the vendors only identified as MaMlotshwa.

However, Collen Mhlanga, husband to the deceased, said that the lightning was just a coincidence, as his wife had no signs of lightning burns.

"Nomacala suffered a stroke two years ago. She might have panicked when rains started and the fear of lightning and thunder would have worsened her situation.

"This might have triggered a heart attack because she had no signs of lightning burns. Usually lightning victims have visible burns on their bodies," said Mhlanga.