Hassan Istiila
Tuesday April 30, 2024
Beledweyne (HOL) - At least 300 goats were killed after lightning struck in the Hiiraan region on Sunday, according to residents and local officials on Monday.
The incident occurred in Teedaan village, one of the villages under the Mahaas district, following heavy rains in the Hiiraan region over the last few days.
The livestock owner, Ali Abdi Amin, also known as Ali Afey, told the media that the lightning killed the goats in one camp, leaving no survivors among his livestock.
"There were 300 goats in the camp. The animals killed by lightning were all in one camp, and we were planning to move to other villages due to the rain as we had just left winter. It started raining at nine o'clock at night, and then the lightning struck. It happened in the goats' camp, and we were all scared," he said.
Ali Afey, a resilient member of the community, added that the lives of three families, totalling 40 people, depend on the livestock, and now the family has nothing left.
"Two families are living there, me and my son. We don't have any other animals except the goats that were killed. We didn't have camels and cows. We live with goats, but the goats are now gone," said Ali Abdi Amin Ali Afey.
The El Nino-induced floods that began last August displaced 1.2 million people, and now the April-June Gu rainy season has already started in the country.
Since April 19th, the Gu rains have affected more than 124,150 people, resulting in 5,100 people being displaced and the deaths of seven children. Jubaland, Hirshabelle, and South West states are the most severely impacted.