Lightening Kills 7 Burundi Students, Injures 51

A classroom in Burundi where more than 50 people sought shelter against a violent storm over the weekend did not prove to be a safe enough haven. Lightening strikes managed to kill 7 high school students and injure 51 additional people. Government officials report that lightening storms during this time of year, which is normally very dry, are an exception to the rule. Heavy rains which accompanied the fierce storms also managed to destroy at least 500 homes of local residents.

“This was an exceptional disaster that hit not only our town, but also other areas of the country, when we should be in the dry season,” said Prudence Kabura, a local government official in Nyanza-Lac.

The most recent tragedy at the high school was only the latest in a series of fatal lighting strikes which have occurred in Burundi. Last week, lightening storms managed to cause fatal injuries to four people who had sought shelter inside a tiny church in the eastern region of the country. That same lightening storm also caused serious injuries to at least nine others. The next day, two people herding their flock of cows were also struck by lightening, although it is not known if these lightening strikes proved fatal to the individuals involved. Unusually heavy rainfalls, which are quite out of the ordinary for this time of year in Burundi, have also wrecked havoc on area crops and houses.

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Lightning kills seven Burundi students, wounds 51
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