By Yang Ater Yang
At least four women were killed, and seven others survived a series of thunder strike in Nyangkot village, Rumbek Central County.
The victims include two girls and two adults.
The first incident occurred on Wednesday while the other on Thursday.
Dut Manak Akuot, the commissioner of Rumbek Central County, told No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper that the tragedy occurred around 4 PM when the victims were gathered at a water pump in the village.
“Among them were two women – one was a pregnant mother, and the other was a lactating mother. Two young girls also died on the spot, while two young boys survived the same incident,” the commissioner said.
In a separate incident the following day, around 11 AM on Thursday, another lightning strike hit a household in the same Nyangkot village, burning down the house but leaving the five occupants, including the head of the household, unharmed.
Rumbek State Hospital Medical Director Terran Madit Terran confirmed the deaths of the two women due to the lightning strike, noting that the victims were not brought to the hospital.
He urged the community to take precautions during heavy rains, such as avoiding going out, turning off electrical devices, and refraining from using phones.
“This is an electric shock, and we used to manage it like other cases we managed in the hospital,” Terran said, dispelling misconceptions that the lightning strikes were due to traditional beliefs or divine intervention.
The medical director urge that lightning strike survivors should be taken to the hospital for proper treatment, as they are at risk of dehydration and require professional medical attention.
The commissioner of Rumbek Central County extended condolences to the victims’ families and appealed to the community to exercise caution during inclement weather to prevent further tragedies.