Somalia: Lightening strike kills newlyweds

A lightning strike has killed a newlywed couple in Ari-addays village, some 30 kilometres south of Abudwaq town of Galgaduud, Halbeeg reported today.

“The two were at home when the incident occurred. No one else was living with them, there was heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning struck them,” a relative told Halbeeg.

Lightening kills newlyweds in central Somalia amid heavy rains. Relatives of the victims say the incident happened in Ari Addays village, 30km south of Abudwaq town, Galgudud region Monday night.

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Heavy rain began to fall in the first week of March, with southern and central regions of Somalia flooding in April. The Juba and Shebelle region in Somalia was only hit by moderate rain, according to the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) unit.

According to Relief Web, rain this year has negatively impacted the humanitarian condition in Somalia, causing overcrowding in temporary shelters housing internally displaced persons. The Shebelle River is expected to rise from the rain, with some 200,000 Somalis at risk of flooding in Belet Weyne town.

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Despite an uptick of rain fall Somali farmers have reportedly started working on their crops early, in a bid to take advantage of the opportunity for cultivation.

In February this year some 38 Somalis died from severe drought conditions in southern Somalia.