18 children and their teacher have been killed in a lightning strike in Uganda, police said.
Uganda has one of the highest rates of lightning strike deaths in the world. According to the World Meteorological Organization, its capital Kampala has more days of lightning than any other city.
The lightning struck the victims in a classroom at a school in Kiryandogo, some 210km north of Kampala, police reported.
38 other children were admitted to hospital.
In recent weeks, the East African country has suffered a wave of fatal lightning strikes during unseasonable heavy rains.
On Monday, the deaths were debated in Parliament, with MPs calling on the government to draw up a strategy to deal with the ‘crisis.’
‘ I don’t know which minister is in charge of the lightning but let the government come up with a statement to inform the country on what is going on and how we can manage it,’ Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said.
The government has been criticised by local meteorologists for not providing enough lightning conductors for buildings in storm hotspots.
‘The 19 were killed in single lightning strike on Monday,’ a police spokesman said.
‘They were ready to leave school but there was a heavy downpour and so they sheltered in the classroom and then, all of a sudden, it struck.’
According to police 15 of the 38 injured on Monday remain in hospital and are being treated for burns.
Medical officials have been quoted by local media in Kiryandongo predicting the death toll could rise.
The state-owned New Vision newspaper said that at least 40 people had been killed by lightning strikes in recent weeks.
The official death toll has not been released by police
Many of the strikes have killed children.
Three siblings aged four, six and eight were killed while taking shelter under a tree on their way home from school last week.
Another two children were killed the week before.
