Lightning leaves three dead in Luanda
Aerial view of Luanda town. Three people died after they were struck by lightning on Sunday night in a nearby village.
Three people, two of them young sisters and one elderly woman, were struck dead by lightning Sunday night in Ematenye village, Vihiga County.
The three had taken shelter in the verandah of a kiosk in the area when it started raining.
One of the two girls was a Form Three student at Hobunaka Secondary School and her younger sister was a grade three pupil at Ebusakame Primary.
Luanda Township Chief Zaddock Otieno confirmed the incident on Monday morning, saying the woman with the sisters was not related to them but they all hailed from the same village.
Proper shelter
He said the two sisters were daughters of Mr Philip Mundia, who operates a boda boda business, in Luanda.
"We are saddened. This happened when it had started raining. Lightning struck and killed the three on the spot. The village is in mourning and we join the families during this difficult time," Mr Otieno said.
Luanda police took the bodies to the Coptic Hospital mortuary, he added.
He asked people to observe safety measures whenever it rains by seeking proper shelter.
He said it is safer to shelter in a house and not on the verandah or under a tree.
He also advised that people should not have their bare feet on the ground when it is raining.
"When it is raining, people should have shoes or other footwear on. These are some of the precautionary measures I feel should be taken to ensure safety when it is raining," Mr Otieno said.
