No magic in blast at sorcerer’s house that killed 6 people

— Police in Zimbabwe said Wednesday that they found traces of explosives at a tribal sorcerer’s house where a blast killed six people and damaged 12 nearby buildings.

Police official CharityCharamba said the sorcerer and assistants, one of them a former police officer, were suspected of trying to extract a compound of mercury sometimes used in the manufacture of explosive materials.

Five people, including the sorcerer, often referred to inthe West as a witch doctor, died on the spot on a township street outside Harare on Jan. 21 and the sixth died later. Neighbors at first feared the explosion was a traditional ritual to produce a deadly lightning bolt meant to strike down enemies or evil spirits.

Charamba said mercurycompounds known locally as “red mercury” are often thought to fetch huge prices on illegal markets.

After the explosion in Chitungwiza, 15 miles south of Harare, panicked neighbors spread coarse salt around the site, an ancient tribal remedy to ward off avenging spirits.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 01/31/2013

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