14 people killed by lightning strike in Uganda, police say
The victims were mostly juveniles and included a nine-year-old girl, police said.
A lightning strike on a church in Uganda killed at least 14 people and injured 34 as they gathered for prayers on Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred in the Palabek refugee camp in Lamwo district in northern Ugandan, police said in a post on the X platform on Sunday.
More To Read
- Lake Victoria Fish farming booming but pollution and disease are wiping out millions: How to reduce losses
- Kenya’s exports to EAC partners grow as diaspora sends Sh1 trillion home
- Uhuru played key role in securing release of activists Njagi and Oyoo – Irungu Houghton
- Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo reveal they were held, tortured by Ugandan military
- Uganda frees activists Bob Njagi and Nicholas Oyoo after diplomatic talks
- Kampala High Court rejects Kizza Besigye’s bid to refer treason case to constitutional court
"The victims... had gathered for prayers when the rain started around 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), and the lightning thunder struck at 5:30 p.m.," police said.
Police did not identify the nationalities of the victims but the camp and others in the region mostly hosts refugees from South Sudan. Most of those refugees had fled during a bloody civil war that gripped the country shortly after its independence in 2011.
The victims were mostly juveniles and included a nine-year-old girl, police said.
Fatal lightning strikes are common in the East African country, especially in schools where structures rarely have lightning conductors.
Top Stories Today