August 31, 2020

Anna Murray 

Ten children have been tragically struck and killed by lightning in Arua, a town in the north-western region of Uganda, after sheltering in a hut during a thunderstorm on August 27. The children were playing football near the Odramacaku trading center in Arua when heavy rain forced them to take a break in a nearby grass-thatched structure which was struck by lightning. Nine children, aged 13 to 15, were killed on the spot while another died on the way to the hospital. Meanwhile, four survivors are injured and currently receiving medical treatment at the regional hospital in Arua.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Uganda is the country thathas one of the highest rates of lightning strike deaths in the world. The capital Kampala witnesses more days of lightning each year than any other city. The worst lightning strike deaths of suchkind in Uganda happened in 2011 while 18 kids were tragically killed by a lightning strike at a school in the mid-western region.

The Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness in Uganda, Musa Ecweru, blamed the lightning strike deaths on negligent construction engineers who often failed to install buildings with lightning rods/diverters. Mr. Ecweru stated that many schools and new health centers lack lightning arrestors. Thus, deadly lightning strike incidents commonly happen each year in the region.

Photo:Webshot.