A 37-year-old man had his left hand amputated after an object he picked up exploded in Kitwe’s Ndeke Township.
Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Mwala Yuyi said the incident occurred around 7 a.m. at Revealed Treasure Trust School.
Yuyi identified the victim as Alfonso Chikotwe, who police believe suffers from mental illness. He said Chikotwe picked up a blue object fitted with a pin, thinking it was a toy, and removed the pin.
“He removed the pin and it immediately exploded while he was holding it in his left hand,” Yuyi said.
The explosion left Chikotwe with severe injuries, causing him to lose four fingers. Doctors amputated his left palm due to the extent of the damage and blood loss.
Police said the scene yielded only blood stains and fragments of the exploded object. Chikotwe is reported to be stable and an inquiry file has been opened