At least 16 dead as lightning strikes church in Rwanda

Lightning struck a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda killing 16 people injuring dozens more, a local official said on Sunday.

The lightning hit the church in the Nyaruguru district in the Southern Province on Saturday, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP over the phone.

Fourteen victims were killed on the spot while two people later succumbed to their injuries, Habitegeko Francois said.

Two others died later from their injuries, he said.

The mayor said 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.

(With inputs from AFP)