William Mwampaghale, the Rukwa regional police commander, said the lightning strike that was accompanied by a heavy downpour killed five farmers in Luwa village in Nkasi district at 3 p.m. local time.
“The five farmers were struck by the lightning when they were planting beans in their farm,” Mwampaghale told a news conference, adding that 14 others were injured after the lightning struck a hut in which they had taken shelter after the rains started to fall.
In another separate incident, said the police official, a man and his son died after they were struck by lightning while farming in the same village, adding that the incident occurred on Saturday evening. — NNN-XINHUA