John Pasquale Udo, the Refugee Welfare Council 3 Chairperson for Palabek Refugee Settlement says out of the nine victims, five are girls while nine are boys, all from the Nuer tribe.
![]()
Some of the survivors of the lightning strike at Palabek Refugee Settlement in Lamwo District. Courtesy Photo
At least 14 South Sudan refugee children
have been confirmed dead and 34 others injured after they were struck by lightning
in Lamwo District.
The incident happened at about 5
pm Saturday at the food distribution point in Zone 8, Palabek Refugee
Settlement where 48 children had taken shelter following a mild rainfall.
Uganda Radio Network understands
that some victims were part of a children's choir practicing in a nearby
incomplete church for Sunday service while others were playing
football. They reportedly all left to take shelter at the food distribution point
when the rain started before being struck by lightning.
John Pasquale Udo, the Refugee
Welfare Council 3 Chairperson for Palabek Refugee Settlement says out of the
nine victims, five are girls while nine are boys, all from the Nuer tribe.
Udo notes that seven children have
been left in critical condition following the lightning strike while 27 are in relatively
stable condition and all are currently receiving medical treatment at Paloda
Health Center III in Zone 3.
He says the deceased bodies are
also at Paloda Health Center III Morgue pending identification from their
parents and relatives and postmortem.
“We are trying to manage the
situation right now with a very big crowd gathered to identify the bodies of
their children. We call for support from all the humanitarian organizations in
the settlement to render their support at the moment,” says Udo.
Udo called for calm from the relatives
of those affected and urged them to desist from speculating about their death arguing
that it wasn’t man-made but rather a natural calamity.
He says some of the families
currently need urgent psychological support and called on humanitarian organizations
within the refugee settlement to render their support.
The police are yet to offer details of the incident including particulars
of the deceased and the injured.
Lightning strikes are uncommon in
Lamwo District. In July 2016, 20 cows were struck dead by lightning in Guda
Palwo village in Madi Opei Sub County in Lamwo district.
In
May 2020, four people were injured after they were struck by lightning in
Padibe Town council, Lamwo district.
Bureau Chief, West Acholi
Julius Ocungi
Opoka Denis
Freelancer