Durban – Severe weather conditions have claimed almost 10 lives in KwaZulu-Natal this rainy season. This comes after a third-year mechanical engineering student was killed when he was struck by lightning while he slept.
In a notice issued to staff and students by the Office of the Dean of Students at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), Dr Thembi Kweyama, it was reported that one of their students had died on Saturday, November 18.
“Mpumezi Mndwetywa, a third-year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering died, having succumbed to his burns sustained following the severe lightning storm that residents in Durban experienced on Friday night,” Kweyama said.
“The storm resulted in a fire affecting some of the rooms on the third floor of Craiglee, an external university residence in Glenwood. Sadly, Mndwetywa was asleep in his room when it was struck by a bolt of lightning.”
Kweyama added that Student Counselling will issue notices in due course regarding counselling services that will be available for all those students affected by the incident.
IOL spoke to dRKEMS spokesperson Cait Hagerman, who said they attended a call-out for a flat on fire on Saturday.
She said the student was asleep in his bed when the incident occurred. He managed to get out of the flat.
“The patient said he woke up in pain and realised his bed was on fire. We are not sure how he managed to get out of the flat, but when we arrived, we found him on the ground floor, in the courtyard. We assessed the 27-year-old male and found that he sustained first- and second-degree burns to 95% of his body,” she said.
Once stabilised at the scene by advanced life paramedics, Mndwetywa was rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent care.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi conveyed her sincere condolences to Mndwetywa’s family.
She said their thoughts and prayers were with his family, friends, fellow students, and the entire MUT community during this difficult time.
“It is with deep concern that we address the series of tragic incidents brought about by severe weather conditions during this rainy season. Regrettably, our province has already lost nearly 10 lives due to these adverse weather conditions,” Sithole-Moloi said.
“As the rainy season continues, we urge our people to prioritise safety by taking precautionary measures against the elements, including lightning and strong winds. Move to safer places, do not hide under the tree and be away from anything that may attract the lightning. We will continue to distribute lightning conductors as a safety measure, particularly in rural areas.”
Sithole-Moloi said Cogta is committed to issuing timely warnings and guidance to ensure the safety of residents during this summer season.
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