POLICE in Bulawayo are investigating a case involving a 24-year-old man who recently died after he was electrocuted by a steam iron.
Provincial police spokesperson Abednico Ncube told the Daily News yesterday that circumstances around the death are that on February 2, 2022 at around 4.30pm, the man who resided at Upper Rangemore, was at his workplace doing some ironing using an electric steam iron.
“In the process he got electrocuted by the steam iron he was using and fell on the floor. The main electric switch tripped off due to electrocution.
“The informant, a male adult aged 59 of Upper Rangemore used a wooden plank to separate him from the electric steam iron and he was still alive. The informant ferried him to a local surgery and he was pronounced dead before admission. A report was made to the police and the body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary and is awaiting a post-mortem,” said Ncube adding that “it is advisable to continually check for naked wires that may cause short circuit,” said Ncube.
Meanwhile police are also investigating a case in which a 24-year-old Nkulumane man was found hanging from a roof truss.
Ncube said on February 1 2022 at around 1pm an informant who is a female adult aged 55, arrived home from work and found her young brother sitting in the dining room watching television.
“They did not talk much and the informant went back to her vending stall. Upon arrival at around 8pm the informant found the now deceased hanging from a roof truss in the spare bedroom, with a rope tied to his neck. The informant told her neighbours about the incident before proceeding to the police where she filed a report. The deceased was ferried to UBH for post mortem,” said Ncube.
He said police are concerned about the increase in the number of suicide cases in the province and urged members of the public to seek counselling before they resort to taking their lives.