A LIGHTNING strike tragically killed 14 people and injured 34 others at a refugee camp in Uganda on Saturday. The incident took place in the Palabek refugee camp, located in Lamwo District, northern Uganda, near the border with South Sudan.
According to Ugandan police, the fatal strike hit during a prayer gathering as heavy rain began around 5:00 PM. The lightning struck shortly after, at approximately 5:30 PM, causing widespread injuries. ‘The victims, yet to be identified, had gathered for prayers when the rain started… and the lightning thunder struck,’ stated police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke in a social media post on Sunday.
The Palabek camp is home to about 80,000 refugees, most of whom have fled conflict in neighbouring South Sudan, where instability persists despite the official end of civil war in 2020. Many refugees have sought shelter in Uganda, one of Africa’s top hosts for displaced people, given its policies welcoming asylum seekers.
Northern Uganda, situated in Africa’s central lightning belt, has been vulnerable to lightning incidents over recent years. While the tropical climate contributes to frequent thunderstorms, heavy rains and dense clouds increase lightning strike risk, especially in rural areas with limited access to lightning protection. Past incidents underscore the persistent danger: in 2020, a strike in north-western Uganda killed ten children, and in 2011, another incident left 18 children and their teacher dead.
Authorities have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and raised concerns about safety in vulnerable areas, especially camps and other open spaces where large gatherings often occur without protective infrastructure.
