Old man complains of high temperatures and dies in combi
Last week the country experienced extreme heat with temperatures rising to as high as 39 degrees Celsius in the northern parts.
The broiling temperatures were not only uncomfortable but have been attributed to the death of at least one person who collapsed and died in public transport.
In Gaborone what started off as a normal Friday last week ended badly for a Broadhurst Route Six combi driver when one of his passengers died suddenly.
Narrating the harrowing ordeal in an interview, the combi driver, Winter Ntwaetsile, evidently still perplexed by the incident said that the 74-year-old man, whose age was confirmed by Gaborone West Police, boarded the combi at Game City mall at around 12 midday and met his fate a few minutes later
“After greeting other passengers, the old man said “Letsatsi le le tlaa re bolaa” (this heat will kill us) and the other passengers joined the conversation about the scorching heat,” explained Ntwaetsile
The driver went on to say that less than five minutes after the weather conversation as the combi approached Hillside Pick n Pay bus stop the man started convulsing.
“ I pulled over and dashed to the other side of the combi to attend to him with the help of other passengers.”
“Recalling his statement on how hot it was, I assumed he might have collapsed from heat exhaustion. I offered him a bottle of water to drink, but he was unresponsive so I called the paramedics and the police as the passengers got off.”
He said that when the paramedics arrived, they pronounced the man dead. “It was unbelievable at first, to think that the man was alive and talking to us less than five minutes ago.”
G-west Police Station Commander, Knight Molosiwa has confirmed the, revealing that the old man’s identity has been uncovered and that his family was already notified.
Reluctant to disclose the actual cause of death as per the post mortem, Molosiwa revealed that the man had a pre-existing condition, which led to his death. “The death is not being treated as suspicious,” he said.
