Lightning kills 5 family members in Omoro sub county

Alebtong, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A a flash of lightning has claimed the lives of five family members in Alebtong district. The dead are Peter Owaa, Vicky Odongo and Desmond Owaa, both adults. The others are Raphael Elem and Silver Acur, all children below ten years of age.

With the exception of Owaa, the other victims were sleeping when the thunderbolt struck their home in Okwaloatala village in Oculukori parish, Omoro sub county at around 1am on Wednesday morning.

Owaa, who has been the area LC I chairperson succumbed to the severe burns he sustained while trying to save his grandchildren from the burning house. Two children identified as Sandra Ajwang and Stephen Orongo survived the incident and are currently at home.

Joseph Elem, a neighbour to the family explained that the house burst in flames after the lightning strike and their efforts to put it off were futile.

Vicky Odongo’s husband, Denis Odongo, a boda boda rider in Lira City learnt about the shocking news in the morning when he was lured to come home without a clear reason. Odongo said that he was shocked especially after having a dream about his children in the night only to find them dead in the morning.

Family members and relatives who are still in shock are asking for assistance from well-wishers to help the family. The chief of Ocukuro-me ogora okweroatil clan, says that the magnitude of the damage is too much for the clan to bear thus their call for help from other people.

According to him, the bodies will be buried at home instead of the swam as it was the norm in Lango. Jimmy Patrick Okema, the North Kyoga Police spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying officers from Omoro police station visited the scene and allowed the family to bury the bodies.

Isaac Apenyo, the LC III chairperson of Omoro sub-county said that his area has suffered devastating incidents and called on the district leadership and ministry of disaster preparedness to come to their rescue.

Last week, heavy rains destroyed 210 crop gardens in a single night in Oyere village, Omarari parish in the same sub county.

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