A 47-year-old man from Burnside, Bulawayo narrowly escaped death after a grenade he had been using as a key holder exploded in his hands.
Police said the man, who is a gardener, had been moving around with the grenade for almost two weeks, oblivious to the fact that he was carrying a deadly object.
ZRP spokesperson in Bulawayo Province, Inspector Abednico Ncube said the man found the grenade on 1 January and showed it to his friend who also didn’t recognise that it was a dangerous object. Said Insp Ncube:
On January 12 at around 3 PM, he pulled the safety pin of the hand grenade and it exploded twice in his right hand.
He was injured on the right-hand palm and was taken to United Bulawayo Hospital where he is currently admitted.
Four right-hand fingers and half of the palm have been amputated.
Members of the public are hereby advised and warned to take or consider any unknown metal as a dangerous object.
Regrettably, a 47-year-old male took a deadly grenade for a key holder.