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Lightning kills 2
27/11/2006 11:40 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Two people were struck dead by lightning near Ga-Kobe village in Limpopo on the weekend, police said on Monday.
Danny Skhonza, 13, and George Nkosi, 70, were hiking in the Leolo Mountains when it started raining, said Superintendent Patty Khumalo.
They hid under a big stone but where still struck.
Last month in Johannesburg two people were killed and another seriously burnt when they were struck by lighting. One was killed while standing in open ground near a building site in Honeydew, in the north-western suburbs of Johannesburg, the City of Johannesburg said in a statement on Monday.
The other person died while taking shelter under a tree in Soweto, spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said, while a third man escaped with burns in Discovery in Johannesburg.
In a bid to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from lightning, the city of Johannesburg has launched its "Summer Safety Campaign".
"The campaign cautions citizens to be aware and take care by protecting themselves against these dangers, especially as more stormy weather is forecast for the weeks leading up to Christmas."
TV weatherman and climatologist Simon Gear said: "It is thunderstorm weather at the moment and we can expect many more big electric storms over the next few weeks."
Precautions during a storm included staying away from trees and open ground.
"Lightning is attracted to the branches, or your head, as the shortest route to earth. If you are on a soccer field or golf course, leave it when you see lightning. Three years ago there were five people injured by lightning in a football match in Protea because they played on through a storm," said Modingoane.
The safest places to be in during lightning storm are in a building or in your car.
"If you arrive home in your car it is worth waiting for the storm to subside before dashing into your house," said spokesperson for the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Malcolm Midgely.
"Homes are also at risk in this stormy weather. A lightning strike can easily set fire to a thatched or even a tiled roof."
Midgely said home owners should employ a registered electrician to install a lightning conductor on the roof to protect their homes.
- SAPA
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