No fewer than 14 people, including several children, lost their lives in northern Uganda’s Palabek refugee camp when lightning struck a makeshift church during a severe storm on Saturday evening.
According to reports, the gathering had swelled to around 50 individuals for prayer when a bolt of lightning struck the building’s metal roof.
William Komech, the resident district commissioner for the Lamwo region, confirmed that the victims included five girls and nine boys, all between the ages of 14 and 18, adding that another 34 people sustained injuries and were treated at a nearby health centre.
Komech further revealed that the majority of the refugees in the camp hail from South Sudan’s Nuer community, and that the Ugandan government is working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide support to the survivors.
“The government team is on the ground assisting families and ensuring the bodies are returned to their loved ones,” said Hillary Onek, Uganda’s Minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness.
The country has seen a number of tragic lightning-related incidents in recent years.
In 2011, a primary school was struck by lightning, resulting in the deaths of 18 students. Similarly, in August 2020, nine teenagers lost their lives in a similar incident. Additionally, lightning claimed the lives of four endangered mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park in February 2020.
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