Thunderstorm Kills Six Children From One Family, Injures Four
A thunderstorm has killed six children from the same family and injured four others in Dadiri-Tirgali village, Garum District of Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
MThe tragedy occurred at about 4 p.m. on Sunday as the victims were harvesting groundnuts on a farm.
When the rain became heavy, the group reportedly sought shelter under a tree. Moments later, lightning struck the tree, killing six of them and injuring four others.
The deceased were identified as Abdulrahman Musa, 7; Aliyu Sule Maunde, 10; Jaafar Sule Maunde, 10; Bilkisu Jibrin Maunde, 20; Musa Ahmadu, 9; and Auwalu Nuhu, 11.
The injured victims were Nasiru Abubakar, 7; Rilwanu Ahmadu, 9; Saadatu Isa, 35; and her one-year-old daughter, Hasiya Isa.
The injured were taken to the General Hospital, Ganye, for treatment, while the six bodies were later buried at Wukari Ganye Quarters on Monday morning in accordance with Islamic rites.
Musa Maude, popularly known as “Soja”, said he had sent the children to the farm to harvest groundnuts before the rain began.
He said he rushed to the farm after receiving a distress call that lightning had struck the group.
“When we got there, we found eight of them lying under the tree. A woman was lying nearby,” he recalled.
According to him, some of the victims were still alive and were later taken to the hospital by family members.
Another bereaved father, Suleiman Maude, said his two sons, Aliyu and Jaafar, were among those killed.
He said he had returned home from bricklaying work because of the rain before receiving the devastating news.
Sa’adatu Isah, one of the survivors, said she had accompanied the children to the farm with her young daughter.
She said they gathered under the tree and shared the only umbrella available when the rain became too heavy.
“We were just talking and waiting for the rain to stop when suddenly there was a loud sound. It was followed by a bright flash of light,” she said.
Sa’adatu said she later regained consciousness after relatives arrived to rescue them.
The Chairman of Ganye Local Government Area, Daniel Kamsobbi, confirmed the deaths and injuries, describing the incident as a tragedy for the people of Ganye and Adamawa State.
He said the council had directed the police and other security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Kamsobbi said the investigation would determine whether the tragedy was solely the result of a natural phenomenon or whether other factors contributed to it.
Meanwhile, experts have advised residents, particularly farmers, to avoid taking shelter under trees during thunderstorms.
They urged people caught in severe weather to seek refuge inside sturdy buildings and stay away from open fields, water bodies, windows, doors and metal objects.
Experts explained that trees in open areas can attract lightning and that electrical current may travel through the tree, its roots and the surrounding ground, putting people nearby at risk.
They also warned that strong winds accompanying thunderstorms could cause branches and trees to fall, resulting in further injuries or deaths.
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