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Lightning Kills 13 Children At Uganda Refugee Camp

A Lightning strike at a refugee camp in Uganda has killed 13 children and one adult, police say.

They say the victims were attending a church service on Sat­urday evening when the lightning struck. Another 34 people were injured.

The incident occurred at Pal­abek Refugee Settlement in the north-west of the country. The area has recently seen heavy rains with thunder and lightning.

Kituuma Rusoke, spokesper­son for Uganda Police, told BBC News that the adult killed on Sat­urday was 21 years old. Mr Rusoke did not reveal the exact ages of the children who died.

Palabek Refugee Settlement is home to more than 80,000 refu­gees and asylum seekers, accord­ing to the UN’s refugee agency. Many are from neighbouring South Sudan.

Four years ago, lightning killed 10 children in the city of Arua, also in north-western Uganda.

The children were struck while taking a break from a game of football.