, Kigali, Rwanda, Mar 11 – At least 16 people were killed and dozens more injured after lightning struck a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda, a local official said Sunday.

Fourteen victims were killed on the spot as lightning hit the church in the Nyaruguru district in the Southern Province on Saturday, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP over the phone.

Two others died later from their injuries, he said.

He added that 140 people involved in the incident had been rushed to hospital and district health centres, but that many had already been discharged.

“Doctors say that only three of them are in critical condition but they are getting better,” he said.

According to the mayor, a similar accident took place on Friday when lightning struck a group of 18 students, killing one of them </s> (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – About 16 people were killed and while many injured by lightning Saturday at a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda.

Officials said the victims died instantly when the lightning hit the church in the southern district of Nyaruguru, local Mayor Habitegeko.

Mayor Habitegeko confirmed that the lightning also killed a student in the area last Friday.

The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service.

A witness told news agency that only three are in critical condition but they are getting better as at Sunday.

The witness confirmed that Friday’s lightning struck a group of 18 students in the area and it killed one.

However, three out of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home.

Report said the deadly incident occurred less than two weeks after the closure of over 700 Rwadan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution. </s> Image copyright The New Times Image caption Those killed were buried on Sunday

A lightning strike killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more at a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda on Saturday, an official said.

Most of the victims died instantly when lightning hit the church in the southern district of Nyaruguru, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP.

Two people died from their injuries, and 140 people were rushed to hospital and health centres.

Lightning also killed a student in the area on Friday, the mayor said.

The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday on Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service.

"Doctors say that only three [more churchgoers] are in critical condition but they are getting better," Mr Francois told AFP on Sunday.

He said that in Friday's incident, lightning struck a group of 18 students in the area, killing one.

Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.

The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.

Local news outlet Panor Actu reported (in French) that a number of the closed churches did not have required lightning rods - devices intended to protect a structure from a lightning strike. </s> At least 16 people were killed and dozens more injured after lightning hit a Seventh-Day Adventist church in the Southern Province of Rwanda, AFP reported on Sunday, citing local mayor Habitegeko Francois. Fourteen victims died on the spot, while two more succumbed to their injuries later. Some 140 people were sent to a local hospital after the incident and many have been already discharged, while three victims remain in critical condition. </s> Una persona falleció y al menos 21 resultaron intoxicadas luego de almorzar durante una reunión por el aniversario de una iglesia en el distrito de Sorochuco, provincia de Celendín, departamento de Cajamarca.

► Cajamarca: adultos mayores aprenden a leer y escribir con aplicativo móvil



Los miembros de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día se reunieron el sábado y disfrutaron de una olla común preparada con arroz, yuca y carne de carnero.

Sin embargo, el domingo recién comenzaron a sentir los primeros síntomas de la intoxicación, por lo que más de 20 personas fueron llevadas al hospital regional, donde fueron atendidas, informó RPP Noticias.

Una mujer identificada como María Magdalena Atalaya (65) falleció cuando era trasladada al centro de salud.

Familiares de los asistentes al almuerzo indicaron a medios locales que para esta celebración se mataron a seis carneros. Varias muestras de los alimentos consumidos han sido trasladados a Lima para los análisis correspondientes.

“Las autoridades del hospital nos dijeron que se han enviado muestras a Lima y pronto se sabrá cuáles fueron las consecuencias. Probablemente fue la carne de carnero. Mi esposa e hijo estuvieron en ese almuerzo y ahora están un poco mejor, pero hay otros familiares cercanos que están siendo traídos de emergencia”, dijo uno de los familiares de los afectados.



Síguenos en Twitter como @PeruECpe </s> At least 16 people were killed and 140 others injured when lightning struck a church in southern Rwanda, a provincial governor said Sunday.

Hundreds of members of a Seventh Day Adventist church in the town of Nyaruguru were rushed to nearby hospitals and clinics after lightning struck during a church service on Saturday, said governor Rose Mureshyankwano.

Most people were discharged quickly, but 17 churchgoers remained in hospital on Sunday, two of them with severe injuries, Mureshyankwano added.

In a similar incident on Friday, lightning struck a group of 18 students, killing one of them, according to the provincial governor. </s> At least 16 people have been killed in Rwanda and 140 others injured when lightning struck a Seventh Day Adventist church in the country's south, a provincial governor says.

The churchgoers were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, where two were in serious condition, Rose Mureshyankwano said.

She said 17 of those injured were still in the hospital, while the rest had been discharged.

A similar incident occurred on Friday when lightning struck a group of 18 students, killing one.

Images shared by local authorities showed crowds of people, along with officials, observing caskets in Nyaruguru district.

Last October, lightning killed 18 people in different parts of the country.

Lightning strikes are frequent across Rwanda, which has many hills and mountains, and the country's police record a number of human and livestock deaths each year.

Lightning killed 30 people, injured 61 and killed 48 livestock in 2016, the most recent year with full figures, according to Rwanda's Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs. </s> CAJAMARCA, Peru — One person was killed and at least 11 people have been injured in Peru, with a further seven injuries in neighboring Ecuador, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck northern Peru on Sunday morning.

Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center reported the death of a 48-year-old man from the Cajamarca region in northwestern Peru following an earthquake in the country’s Amazon region.

The earthquake’s epicenter was at an approximate depth of 115 km, according to preliminary readings from the United States Geological Survey, and it was felt as far afield as Lima, Peru; Caracas, Venezuela; and Quito, Ecuador.

Ricardo Seijas, head of the emergency operations center, said the number of injured had risen to at least 11 people.

The emergency operations center reported numerous damages to buildings including five schools; two religious temples; and four health centers. Two additional health centers collapsed, said Seijas.

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra has traveled to Yurimaguas, a city in the Peruvian Amazon that was among the hardest hit by the earthquake.

Vizcarra arrived with other top government officials, and said they are coordinating with local leaders to evaluate the damage.

The president said he himself, along with his transportation minister, will evaluate damage to roadways.

Other officials will evaluate damages to structures and any effect on a nearby reservoir, Vizcarra said.

Earlier in the day Vizcarra reported injuries as well as damages to homes and roadways, in a statement on state TV.

“We already have reports of injuries, of affected homes, collapsed highways and a bridge that connects Yurimaguas with Tarapoto has also collapsed,” Vizcarra said.

The country’s civil protection agency is sending teams to the affected areas, he added.

Five injuries were confirmed by the country’s health ministry on Twitter.

Two of the injured are from the city of Yurimaguas, and the other injuries were from other provinces in the Amazon region, the ministry said.

Ecuador’s Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner confirmed at least 7 injuries in the country as a result of the earthquake.

There are no immediate reports of infrastructure damage, he added.

Landslides have been reported in various parts of the country, according to Ecuador’s emergency management agency.

“The strong earthquake that occurred early this morning was felt in several regions of the country,” Peru’s Vizcarra tweeted earlier Sunday.

“We are evaluating the affected areas. I ask all of our citizens to remain calm.”

The earthquake was the strongest in Peru in 12 years, Vizcarra said.

Peru’s National Emergency Operations Center tweeted that the earthquake was felt in several regions of the country, and monitoring continues.

The country’s interior ministry tweeted photos of damaged houses in the northern Amazonas region, adding that police were on site to protect affected areas.

Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno also tweeted: “I am awaiting of the information about the strong earthquake recorded this morning.”

At least 65 people were injured in the cities of Arequipa, Ica and Ayacucho in southern Peru, the National Civil Defense Institute reported.

On August 15, 2007 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck about 100 miles south of the Peruvian capital of Lima, killing approximately 514 people. </s> At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured when lightning struck a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda on Saturday.Lightning also killed a student in the area on Friday, the mayor said.The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday on Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service."Doctors say that only three (more churchgoers) are in critical condition but they are getting better," Habitegeko Francois told reporters on Sunday.Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.Local news portal Panor Actu reported that a number of the closed churches did not have required lightning rods - devices intended to protect a structure from a lightning strike.
One woman dies and 21 people are affected after eating lunch in a Seventh-day Adventist church in the district of Sorochuco, department of Cajamarca, in Peru. The causes of the poisoning are not yet clear.