The Nemaungani family of Matangari-Dube received a big shock on Sunday, when their main hut was struck by lightning. Everything was reduced to ashes, but fortunately, there was nobody in the hut when it caught fire.

Ironically, it is the same hut that is being used as a bedroom by the family. Had it happened during the night, all the family members could have been burnt to death.

Only one family member, Esnath Nemaungani (30), was at home when the incident happened. She explained: "I had just come back from church at about 15:00 when it started raining heavily. My husband, Avhapfani, was still in church at Muledani with our two kids. I was at the rest room when I heard a big bang and a bolt of lightning appeared from the sky. When I went out, I found that the hut was in flames."

Esnath said she then ran to inform the neighbours although it was raining heavily. "My home was full of people in a short space of time, but they watched helplessly as the hut went up in flames. We could not save any goods because the fire was very fierce. Destroyed goods included a wardrobe, a bed, family food, utensils, clothes, water containers and blankets. We don’t know how to cope with life from now because everything has been destroyed, including our only bag of maize meal."

Another close family member, Azwihangwisi Samuel Nemaungani (47), said: "I received a call that my younger brother’s hut was on fire and I rushed there. There were lots of people and the hut’s roof was already destroyed. A fire extinguisher later came, but the fire had already destroyed everything."

Asked if the fire might have been caused by something else, except the lightning, Samuel said: "There was no electricity in the hut and the fire only emerged after the lightning. We are happy because there was nobody in the house at the time of the incident, otherwise, all the family members could have been dead."