A 12-YEAR-OLD boy who was gathering baobab fruits at Hwange Police Station is lucky to be alive after a partially dry bamboo stick he was using fell onto a nearby high voltage electricity transformer and shocked him.
The tree is near the police officers’ houses.
Austin Munakira who resides at ZRP Hwange camp quarters, was with other children gathering baobab fruits on Monday when his bamboo stick got into contact with naked cables.
The electricity transformer and power cables are close to the baobab tree.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda could not comment on the issue as he was out of office.
However, a police source said the boy was treated and discharged with moderate burns on the right arm and both legs.
“On 18 April at around 12 noon Austine Munakira who resides at ZRP Hwange camp quarters was at a baobab tree behind the camp gathering baobab fruits. The victim was using a partially dry bamboo stick to pull down baobab fruits from the tree which is in the camp and the stick fell on the power cable resulting in the boy being burnt,” said a police source.
The boy was rushed to the camp clinic where he was treated and discharged as his condition was stable.
Health officials, however, said the burns need constant monitoring