At least 14 people, including several children, were killed when lightning struck a refugee camp in northern Uganda, police reported on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred as residents of the Palabek settlement camp, primarily home to people displaced from South Sudan, gathered for a prayer service in a makeshift metallic structure on Saturday night.
Located near Uganda’s border with South Sudan, the camp shelters around 80,000 people. Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that 34 others were injured and have been admitted to health centres in the area. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
Lightning occurs when atmospheric conditions create an imbalance of electrical charges. This often happens during thunderstorms when water droplets and ice particles collide within a cloud, creating static electricity.
When the charge difference between the cloud and the ground becomes strong enough, a flash of lightning strikes, finding the fastest path to the ground, which can be enhanced by conductive materials like metal.
