Officials mull study on lightning strike in country

Different stakeholders concerned with disaster management have agreed to carry out an extensive study to identify the nature and management of lightning strikes that have killed dozens of people with Rutsiro District in the Western Province the most affected. The study will focus on Rutsiro, and will consider the topography of the area, among other features. Seraphine Mukantabana. The meeting, that was called by the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midimar) on Thursday, also attracted officials from the Rwanda Standards Board, the meteorology department and engineering firms. Lightning strikes have claimed about 134 lives and injured 150 others across the country since 2011, with Rutsiro alone registering 30 deaths. Lightning strikes have also affected livestock and infrastructure, according to the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs (Midmar). Seraphine Mukantabana, the minister, Midmar, urged all partners to work together to tackle the issue of lightning, especially in Rutsiro. “Having even one person killed by lightning is a very big loss. We have experts in various fields; let them put their heads together and curb such disasters.” Electrical engineers said there is a way of protecting wider areas using lightning rods or arresters available in Rwanda, saying that with a single rod having capacity to protect homes within a radius of 120 metres, a deliberate plan can be made to ensure that a wider area is protected. “It only requires measuring the dimensions and how many lightning rods and arresters would suffice. But this needs to be done by professional technicians to ensure the installation is accurate,” Emmanuel Hakizimana, the director of bio-energy solutions and services Ltd, a private company, said. He pledged to partake in the research. As a way to facilitate the implementation of the plan to protect large areas, the meeting urged Rutsiro leaders to mobilise residents to live in planned settlements. Sheikh Omar Khalfan, Director of ELMAC International/Rwanda, a firm specialised in lightning management, said the World Meteorological Organisation map shows that Rwanda is in a zone most vulnerable to lightning owing to its geographical position. “Rwanda has between 140 and 180 thunders, which is a very high number,” he said. The meeting also agreed to conduct an assessment study on trees believed traditionally to protect people from lightning to find out the underlying evidence.

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Officials mull study on lightning strike in country