Zambia: A firefighter has been injured and stabbed by an individual who was suspected to be mentally unsound. The suspect is a resident of the Kwacha township in Kitwe.
She has has allegedly stabbed a fire fighter of Kitwe City Council who was trying to rescue her from being set ablaze. The suspect is alleged to have set her house on fir in a fit of mental imbalance.
The Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba confirmed the incident in a media interview, She said a female person only identified as Loveness allegedly set her house on fire on August 07,2024 around 21:00 hours.
Further, Mweemba said facts are that around the same hour, members of the public reported the incident to the police. They confirmed that there was a house on fire in Kwacha township in Kitwe district.
“The police and brigade officers who rushed to the scene found that the house in question was just set on fire by a female person suspected to be mentally unsound and locked herself in the house’’, he said.
He explained that when the officers tried to rescue her but she stabbed one firefighter, Cactus Mwaba with a knife on the shoulder area.
Mweemba added that the knife remained stuck in his shoulder leaving him with a deep cut.
The Police Chief said the fire was put off and the police apprehended the female and the victim rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The Police Commanding officer said Mr Mwaba is out of danger, and the knife was removed but has been kept as evidence and has since been discharged from hospital.
Mr Mweemba said the suspected mentally ill female is detained in police custody but whilst there she became violent and attacked a fellow prisoner but was not injured.
He said the mentally ill suspected person was rushed to Kitwe Teaching Hospital and is waiting for specialist doctors to ascertain her mental status.