Lightning strike kills 14-year-old boy in Penjwen

PENJWEN — A 14-year-old boy died Saturday morning after being struck by lightning in the countryside of Penjwen district, in Sulaymaniyah governorate, according to local officials.

Hemn Ibrahim, the district commissioner of Penjwen, confirmed the fatal incident to 964media. “The incident occurred this morning, Saturday, in the countryside of Penjwen district. A boy lost his life due to a lightning strike,” he said.

Dr. Khalid Abdullah, a forensic physician at Penjwen General Hospital, said the strike occurred in Wriawa village. The boy was brought to the hospital with burns covering 30% of his body. His remains were later handed over to the family.

Lightning strikes have caused multiple deaths across Iraq in recent years. In the first week of May last year alone, five people were killed and three others injured in similar incidents.

In June 2024, a 36-year-old Bedouin woman died after being struck by lightning while leaving her tent in the Tel Al-Lahm desert of Dhi Qar. Later that month, a 14-year-old shepherd was killed while tending his flock near the village of Qori Chai, in Garmiyan’s Kifri area.