Lightning Strikes and Kills Ugandan Father and Son

A family of four in Bukamboli village, Uganda, were tragically struck by lightning in their home on Wednesday, February 18. Bukamboli, an Iwemba sub-county in Uganda, was hit with strong storms that released heavy rain and produced severe lightning across the entire region.

A single stroke of lightning killed 32-year-old Alfred Kundu and his 5–year-old son Josy. His wife, Anna Maria Nelina, and their 5-year–old daughter, Patricia Naliaka, sustained burns on their heads and hands from the same lightning strike.

Given the recent availability of real-time lightning strike data in the region, it is our hope that tragedies like this one become a thing of the past. We envision alerting the public to the dangers of lightning via SMS, outdoor horns or other methods to help people stay safer from impending danger.