News
Lightning strike fire kills six family members in Maracha
The house caught fire after the lightning and burned to ashes, killing all six family members beyond recognition.
Scene of the lightning strike incident that claimed the lives of six family members. (Credit: Joel Akuma)
By: Robert Ariaka and Joel Akuma, Journalists @New Vision
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MARACHA — Residents of Nyanza cell, central ward in Oleba town council, Maracha district, woke up on Saturday morning (August 1) to shocking news of lightning which struck a grass-thatched house where six family members slept.
The house caught fire after the lightning and burned to ashes, killing all six family members beyond recognition.
Osuadi Leta, the brother of the deceased, said the incident occurred in Nyanza cell in Central Ward in Oleba Town Council. He identified the deceased family members as Geoffrey Odirikua Amandu, a 37-year-old father who got burnt with his wife and four children.
The wife is identified as Harriet Enyaru, aged 31 years. The four children are all girls and biological daughters of their deceased parents. They are Patience Desire 11 years; Jovia Lekuru 9 years, Blessing Ayikoru 7 years; and Martha Jilda 1 year and six months.
Leta said the tragic incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday morning around 5:00am. The house contained household items, including beds, clothes, and utensils, which all got burnt.
Leta explained that Police visited the scene, retrieved the bodies and handed them to the clan members for burial. Police advised that the bodies be buried immediately without undertaking a post-mortem.
Leta said the tragic incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday morning around 5:00am. The house contained household items, including beds, clothes, and utensils, which all got burnt.
Leta explained that Police visited the scene, retrieved the bodies and handed them to the clan members for burial. Police advised that the bodies be buried immediately without undertaking a post-mortem.
Neighbours gather at the razed home of the six family members. (Credit: Joel Akuma)
Maracha DPC Swaib Taban confirmed the incident and said the police surgeon examined the bodies and handed to the relatives for burial.
Gabriel Ofeku, the National Resistance Movement NRM Chairman, Maracha District, equally confirmed the tragic lightning incident. He said, “Last night lightning struck and killed six family members who got burnt in a grass-thatched house. The house caught fire and got burnt, and the six family members all died in the inferno”.
The lightning occurred at night, when one of the neighbours woke up in the morning only to find the six family members dead and burnt beyond recognition. The bodies have been retrieved from the ash and bundled in plastic cavera for burial.
He said the six bodies will be buried in one grave.