Lightning strikes teacher dead in Iganga
A primary school teacher at Nambale Primary School in Nambale sub-county, Iganga District has been struck dead by lightning.
Ms Joy Kanage is said to have been walking in the school compound when lightning struck her, according to the Nambale sub-county LC3 chairman, Mr Nasur Ibanda.
“Police handed over the body to her relatives for burial since it was confirmed that the cause of her death was lightning. Police visited the scene, but never took the body for a postmortem because the cause of death was known,’’ Mr Ibanda said on Friday.
The Iganga District LC5 chairman, Mr Ezra Gabula, urged the government to reinforce the installation of lightning arresters at schools before they reopen for the first term.
According to Mr Gabula, although this reinforcement was started sometime back, many schools lack lightning arresters.
He added: “’Most of the schools in my district are operating without lightning arresters; therefore, the government should enforce their installation as schools prepare to open on Monday.”
The Iganga District Education Officer, Mr Baker Kasadhakawo, however, differs.
“I can tell you that schools in my district have lightning arresters, but they cannot operate over long meters (radius) from buildings,” he said, adding that the deceased was struck from the football field where she had reportedly gone to collect goats as rain started falling.
Schools in Busoga Sub-region are prone to lightning that has often resulted in the loss of life, especially of children.
In June 2011, four Senior Four students of Valley Hill Secondary School in Kaliro District were hospitalised after being struck by lightning.
But, barely two days earlier, two pupils at Nawangoma Primary School in Jinja District were killed by the thunderbolt.
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