Three persons have been suspected killed by thunderstorm in Ughelli South local government area of Delta State, the police said on Thursday.
Delta police commissioner, Adeyinka Adeleke, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they were treating the case with caution as no medical report has proven that the victims were actually killed by thunderstorm.
He said: “It is true, but it is still a suspected case because there is no medical report to prove that the victims were killed by thunderstorm.”
He identified the victims as Matthew Utuama and Gabriel Djoma. The third person, Mr Adeleke said, was an unidentified motor mechanic who came from Onitsha to repair a tipper engine reportedly owned by one of the deceased.
The incident happened at about 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Osieta Avenue in Otu-Jeremi during an over 30-minute downpour.
A source was quoted as saying that the trio took shelter in a building when they were struck and killed on the spot.
“The deceased were waiting for the rain to subside when they were hit by the thunder, they were found dead on the floor after one of the victims who was injured drew the attention of neighbours to the scene.
“The survivor accompanied the mechanic from Onitsha to the community to repair a lorry.
“The corpses of Utuama and Djoma have been deposited at the mortuary in Otu-Jeremi General Hospital while that of the unknown mechanic has been taken to Onitsha for burial,” the source said.
