Father and son killed by lightning

A FATHER, 35, and his 12-year-old son were killed by lightning near the Murip wheat station on Sunday afternoon in Enga’s Kandep district.
Church goers, who were with the deceased, could do little to help the father and son.
Many also received burns to their bodies.
The deceased were among other Christians taking shelter from the rain under a gum tree after a church service when the lightning struck around 4pm.
Mathew Kumi, a health extension officer working at Yabum Health Centre in Kandep, told The National yesterday that the father and son were killed instantly.
He said the boy was believed to be a Grade 3 student at the Yabum Primary School.
Kumi said the others, who received burns and other injuries, were treated at the health centre and discharged.
He said there was no heavy rain fall as expected after the continuous lightning strikes.
The rain subsided and stopped a few minutes later.
He urged the people to take extra precaution during thunder storms.
Kumi said people must take shelter inside the house during such time because, from past experience, many people taking shelter under trees were killed by lightning.
He said this was a first time when two people were killed and many others affected by lightning in Kandep.