Two Katakwi pupils struck by lightning

By Emmanuel Alomu

TWO pupils have been struck by lightning at Atoroma Primary School in Toroma Sub County in Katakwi district.

Proscovia Amaisire, 14, and Caroline Tino aged 15 years were struck while in their dormitory on Sunday at around 6:00pm

Four other pupils who got shocked included; Martha Iramu 14, Margaret Among 14, Perpetua Atim 18 and Maimunah Aguti.

The six were immediately admitted to Toroma Health Centre VI for treatment.

There were 75 pupils from P6 and P7 in the boarding section at Atoroma Primary school at the time of the incident. 

The school head teacher, Ann Amuge, said the natural calamity occurred after a heavy storm accompanied by lightning. 

According to Amuge, the pupils informed them about the incident after the rain subsided.  

“When I went to the dormitory where the incident happened, Tino was shivering and crying of headache while her colleague Amaisire was just lying helpless. Tino whose small finger was cut off by lightning became unconscious at Toroma health centre four,” said Amuge.  

Amuge said the situation would be worse if the school had no lightening arrestors. 

Two weeks ago, a heavy storm uprooted a tree which fell onto the boy’s dormitory but did not cause any damage because the pupils were in class during day time.

Sarah Ameso the enrolled nurse at Toroma H/C IV told New Vision on Monday morning that Tino who ran unconscious last evening was improving after being put on drip.  

The LC-III Chairperson Toroma, Silver Obetel blamed the continuous cases of lightning in the sub county to the community that he said  has  removed and stolen lightening arrestors from schools, health units and markets. 

“These cases of lightning are common because eight lightening arrestors were stolen from Toroma cattle market, Toroma H/C IV, Ongatunyo and Apuuton-Toroma Primary schools,” Obetel said. 

Obetel calls on government to find a way of fixing the mercury lightning arrestors in search a way that thieves don’t steal them. 

The same storm also killed unspecified number of animals were killed, destroyed houses and pit latrines last evening.