Lightning kills expectant mother, injures two others
What you need to know:
Lightning usually struck during the onset of the rainy season.
Last November, lightening killed two children who were working in the family garden at Ndolwa Village in Nkokonjeru Town Council, in the neigbouring Buikwe District.
Residents of Kabubbu village in Busamuzi Sub County, Buvuma District, are in shock after three family members were struck by lightning on Wednesday, leaving one dead.
Local authorities identified the deceased as Annette Nalujja, 26, who was six-month pregnant. Her parents; Mr Julius Nali and MS Florence Namulindo sustained serious injuries.
Mr John Akomere, a neighbour to the victims told Daily Monitor that incident occurred at around midnight during a heavy downpour.
“It was raining heavily and we heard a loud thunder, a few minutes later, our neighbours started making an alarm asking for help. On reaching there, we found the girl already dead and her parents still alive, but in critical condition,” he said.
Mr Juma Kigongo, the Buvuma Deputy Resident District Commissioner said he received the shocking news at about 10am on Thursday and rushed to the scene.
“It is sad that we have lost a resident during these challenging times as we of Covid-19. The family needs help because they have been sleeping in a grass thatch house and the deceased has been sleeping on a papyrus mat,” he said.
Lightning usually struck during the onset of the rainy season.
Last November, lightening killed two children who were working in the family garden at Ndolwa Village in Nkokonjeru Town Council, in the neigbouring Buikwe District.
According to Accuweather, about 2,000 people are killed worldwide by lightning every year.
Hundreds more survive strikes, but suffer from a variety of lasting symptoms, including memory loss, dizziness, weakness, and numbness. Others endure paralysis or cardiac arrest and other life-altering ailments.
However, most people die due to shock.
According to Uganda Meteorological Authority, the south western Uganda and areas of Lake Victoria are located in a lightning corridor, hence are prone to lightning strikes.
Under disaster management, the occurrence of lightning cannot be stopped because it is associated with rainfall and Uganda receives conventional rain.
Privileged to be lying along the Equator, Uganda attracts solar heating hence experiencing a lot of evapotranspiration.
