In a heartbreaking turn of events, three women lost their lives due to lightning strikes, with two incidents occurring in Kisoro District, western Uganda, and one in Iganga District in the east.
The victims in Kisoro were identified as Florence Twizerimana, an 18-year-old from Rikofe village in Chibumba parish, Murora Sub County, and Flora Nyirandabazi, a 63-year-old resident of Chibumba ward in Chahafi town council.
According to Mr. Elly Maate, the police spokesman for Kigezi region, the tragic incidents unfolded on February 2, 2024, around 17:30 hrs. Florence Twizerimana, returning from a local market, and Flora Nyirandabazi, coming from her garden, were struck by lightning as they walked together along a pathway.
Passersby discovered their lifeless bodies, prompting immediate police intervention. The bodies were later handed over to the grieving relatives for burial. The police recorded the incident as a natural calamity, filing it under DEF 02/2024 at Kisoro police station.
These fatalities closely followed another lightning-related death in Iganga District. Joy Kanage, a teacher at Nambale Primary School, lost her life as she walked in the school compound when lightning struck her. The Nambale sub-county LC3 chairman, Mr. Nasur Ibanda, confirmed the cause of death as lightning, and the police handed over the body to her family for burial.
Expressing concern, the Iganga District LC5 chairman, Mr. Ezra Gabula, urged the government to prioritize the installation of lightning arresters in schools, especially before the upcoming reopening for the first term next week.
This tragic occurrence brings back memories of a similar incident in March last year when lightning struck and killed a man, Ambrose Kanunu, 35, and his two children, Justus Asiimwe, 7, and Arnold Habomugisha, 5, in Rwamuyora village, Nyarurambi parish, Muko sub-county, Rubanda District. The family had sought shelter in their house during a heavy downpour.
