By Micheal Atwakiire
Bushenyi: Five people were on Tuesday June 4th, 2019 struck dead by a lightning, which left 25 others injured.
Eyewitnesses reveal that the time they were struck by lightning the deceased and others were in a tea collection shade in Bitooma Sub county, Igara West county, Bushenyi district, where they had sought shelter from rain. John Bomukama, the LCV councilor Bitooma sub-county, said that five people died on spot and 25 others were injured and admitted at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital in Ishaka town and Comboni Hospital in Kyamuhunga town council. The deceased have been identified as Atwemereireho Innocent, 17 years from Koonyo village, Akankunda Nixon, 13 years from Koonyo village, Byamukama Justus,15 years, from Nyakashojwa village, Shallot Tuhwereirwe from Nyakashojwa village and Elisam Tayebwa (in his 50s) from Nyakatembe village.
“We are in shock following the incident. That’s what happened to us today at around 11:00Am,” he said He added that the affected people were from the villages of Nyakatembe, Konyo, Nyakashojwa, Kakira parish, Bitooma sub-county, where locals are currently engulfed in shock after the incident. The Greater Bushenyi regional police commander Eddie Sserunjoji confirmed the incident, but could not tell whether the injured were in critical condition or not. He instead said that only medical officers at Comboni and KIU-teaching hospitals were in position to ascertain injuries. The bodies of the deceased were taken to Kampala International University Hospital mortuary. Lightening cases have been common in Bushenyi district in the last five years, and district leaders have often called for attention from government to erect lightning conductors in the area.
