Unknown people in Kitwe have chopped off and runaway with the left hand of a seven-year old albino girl.

Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga confirmed the development and said the incident happened on Wednesday around midnight in Mutupa farming area, Chantente ward across the Kafue river in Kitwe.

She explained that the unknown assailants used a machete to chop off the hand of the girl.

“This occurred on 6th November 2019 around 24: 00 hours in Mutupa farming area, Chantente Ward, across Kafue River, Kitwe. Joseph Mulenga, 27, a peasant farmer, reported that his daughter aged 7, an Albino, Grade 1 pupil at Mutupa Community School had her left hand chopped off slightly above the elbow by unknown criminals who forced their way through the window into the bedroom where the victim was sleeping with the sister. The assailants forcibly dragged the 7 years old albino outside into the nearby bush,” Katanga explained.

“Facts are that the couple, whilst asleep in their main bedroom around 24:00 hours, heard their children who were sleeping in the other bedroom screaming for help, and when they woke up to check what was happening to their children, they saw a man jumping through the window while carrying their albino daughter and when they rushed outside to follow they saw three unknown male person armed with a machete running towards the nearby bush with their 7 years old albino daughter.”

She said the coupled then shouted for help.

“The couple decided to shout for help and after realising that the neighbours would come, the criminals immediately chopped off the left hand of the girl just slightly above the elbow using a machete and took away the piece of the cut hand to unknown destination. The victim was rushed to Riverside Police Station were the matter was reported and the officers rushed her to Kitwe Teaching Hospital where she is admitted awaiting to undergo a surgery.”

Katanga said the condition of the girl is stable although the wound on the mutilated hand was looking bad and causing excruciating pain to the victim.

She said an Inquiry file had been opened and a manhunt for the assailants was launched.