Lightning kills 9 children while playing football in Uganda

Nine children between the ages of 13 and 15 died Last night in Uganda While playing soccer by the lightning effect The authorities and the Red Cross reported today in the vicinity of the city of Arua (northwest).

One of them died on the spotWhile others He died shortly after being passed out, unconscious To the regional referral hospital in Arua. According to a spokeswoman for police in northwestern Uganda, Josephine Angusia, the minors were fighting A. football game When they were surprised by a thunderstorm.

Local authorities indicated this three children Who also participated in that match She managed to survive and was hospitalized At a health center, but they have not yet released more data on his health. Arua police said Yves Over the phone, the authorities are investigating “this tragic accident” and that he cannot yet share more information with the press.

These types of fatal accidents are common in Uganda, where electrical storms are frequent and unpredictable often. In June 2011, a lightning strike killed 18 children At a primary school in northwestern Uganda, near the Karuma Game Reserve.

Ugandan Deputy Minister for Disaster Prevention, Musa Ikero, expressed regret at the time that many schools and health centers did not have lightning rods. “This is negligence on the part of people who testify whether these buildings are suitable for public use, and we will work to prevent more accidents,” Iquiro said.

ZZM