Ten children have been killed after being struck by lightning in a remote Ugandan town near the Congo border. Fourteen children, whose ages ranged from nine to 16, sheltered from rain in a ‘grass-thatched structure’ after playing football in a field near Arua City on Thursday.

Nine children, aged 13 to 15, were killed on the spot by lightning, while another child died on the way to the hospital.

Four other children were injured in the incident, according to authorities.

The tragedy comes as the north-western region of Uganda is hit by severe rainstorms, thunder and lightning. Deadly lighting is common during the wetter seasons in the East African country.

Eighteen school children were killed at a school in the mid-western region in 2011.

Many classroom blocks, especially in rural areas, are not equipped with lifesaving lightning diverters.

In the same year, 28 people died from lightning strikes in a single week.

In February, four endangered mountain gorillas were also killed in a strike in a Ugandan national park.