RUBANDA: Lightning kills father, two sons near Bwindi Primary school

Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tragedy has struck a family in Rubanda district on Sunday. Lightling struck three family members dead.

The dead are Ambrose Kanunu, 35, a resident of Rwamuyora village, Nyarurambu parish, Muko sub-county, his sons Justus Asiimwe,7, and Arnold Habomugisha,5, both former pupils of Bwindi primary school.

According to Jotham Sunday, the head teacher of Bwindi primary school, the trio met their death on Sunday at around 06:00 PM during a heavy downpour. He explains that Kanunu was sleeping while the children were in the sitting room when they were all struck by the thunderbolt and killed on the spot. He says that only Kanunu’s wife, Allen Uwimana, 32, survived since she was in the kitchen preparing food.

Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, says that they conducted postmortem and handover the deceased’s bodies to their relatives to proceed with funeral arrangements. Cases of lightning are common in Kigezi region.

In December 2022, 20-year-old Fere from Nyarurambi village in Muko sub county also in Rubanda was struck dead. In September 2021, Edidiya Turyatemba, 42, and Diana Kajowa, 31, both residents of Mukasyokwe village in Kyamukende parish, Kinaba sub-county, Kanungu district were also killed by lightning.

On April 20th, 2018, Aggrey Ainembabazi, a resident of Kinyisa cell in Retendere parish, Kayonza sub-county, and a pupil at Nyakeina Parents Primary School in Kayonza sub-county was also struck to death while seven others escaped with injuries. On April 3, 2018, lightning struck a woman together with her daughter in Bujengwe village, Karangara parish in Kayonza sub-county.

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