14 people killed when lightning hits a church in a remote refugee camp in Uganda

Published 12:29 AM EST, Monday November 4, 2024 |

Kampala: A lightning strike killed 14 people during a prayer service in a refugee camp in Uganda on Saturday, authorities in the east African country said.

The strike in northern Uganda’s Lamwo district injured 34 others, police said in a Sunday statement.

“The victims, yet to be identified, had gathered for prayers when the rain started around 5:00 PM, and the lightning thunder struck at 5:30 PM,” Kituuma Rusoke, a spokesperson for the police force, said on social media.

The residents of the Palabek settlement camp, which primarily houses refugees from South Sudan, had been attending a prayer service in the makeshift metallic structure when the lighting struck.