 |
| lightning |
Grief has engulfed Anduro village in Nyandiwa sub-location following the tragic death if a Form Three student. Emanuel Otieno, aged 17, died on Sunday, September 29, after being hit by lightning. When the incident happened, the Form Three student who attended Ambira Boys’ High School had been sent home to collect school fees. According to Joseph Otieno Aloo, the Assistant Chief of Nyandiwa sub-location, Emanuel had been attending a church service with his cousins until around 4:00 p.m. After the service, he borrowed his father’s motorbike to escort the cousins back to Siaya town.
“He left home with his three cousins on the motorbike and had barely gone 400 meters when the lightning struck,” explained Aloo. The sudden lightning strike caused all of them to fall off the bike. The cousins quickly realized that Emanuel had lost consciousness and immediately raised the alarm, attracting the attention of concerned villagers, including the parents of the cousins. Residents rushed Emmanuel to a hospital in Siaya town, but he was sadly pronounced dead upon arrival. Many were shocked to learn that there were no signs of a storm or rainfall at the time of the incident. “It’s perplexing because there wasn’t a single indication of rain,” added Aloo, emphasising the unusual nature of the lightning strike. Emanuel’s body was transferred to a private hospital mortuary for preservation, awaiting an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
by Amos Khaemba