Lightning strikes kill six people in Ethiopia’s northeastern region. The incident happened in Afar regional state, one of Ethiopia’s developing regional states, with majority arid and semi-arid climate conditions, a state prone to negative weather conditions, including the recent El Nino driven drought that hits Ethiopia since 2015.

The tragedies occurred amid the Ethiopian Meteorology Agency’s latest warning over the prospect of above-average rainfall with a probable thunderstorm.

Two people were killed as a result of the first lightning accident in Afar’s Ewa district, while four others also lost their life attacked by another lightning accidents accident in another district, called Chefra, the Ethiopian State News Agency ENA quoted the regional Disaster Risk Management office as saying.

The two lightning strikes were accompanied by heavy rain and thunderstorm in the two districts, claiming six human lives and four cattle, it was indicated.

With Ethiopia’s major rainy season approaching, the announcement also revealed that the above-average rainfall could be accompanied with thunderstorm and unexpected rainfall, threatening some cereal producing areas in the country.

Despite safety concerns, the rainfall is said to be a good turn to Ethiopia as the east African country is battling with the ongoing drought.

Source: News Ghana