14 killed, 34 injured as lightning strikes Ugandan church

Fourteen people were killed and 34 others injured after lightning struck a church in Uganda’s northern district of Lamwo on Saturday, police said.

The church is located at the Palabek refugee camp.

Uganda’s police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said the incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. when the victims had gathered for a prayer service.

“The incident happened during a prayer service at a church in Zone 8, Block 2. in Palabek settlement camp,” Rusoke said in a Sunday post on X. “The victims, yet to be identified, had gathered for prayers when the rain started around 5:00 p.m., and the lightning thunder struck (sic) at 5:30 p.m.”

Lightning strikes are common in Kenya’s western neighbour; in June, a similar incident at a school in the northern Nebbi District left 77 pupils injured.

The pupils from different schools were playing in an open field during a games competition when they were struck.

In August 2020, 10 children were killed by lightning in the north-western Arua city while sheltering in a hut.

The children were playing when a storm began, forcing them to take cover in a grass-thatched structure which was struck by lightning.