The Deadly Disaster Triggered by Lightning That Killed Hundreds

A major disaster triggered by a lightning strike occurred in Egypt in 1994, killing hundreds of people.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the disaster took place in Dronka, Egypt. It was recognised as a world record for the highest number of deaths caused indirectly by lightning.

The event occurred on 2 November 1994 in Dronka village, in the Assiut region of southern Egypt. A severe thunderstorm struck the area, triggering flash floods.

Lightning struck three storage tanks at a military depot, each containing around 5,000 tonnes of aviation fuel or diesel.

The oil tanks were located near a railway line, which collapsed as floodwater built up behind it.

Fuel ignited by the lightning was carried by the flash-flood waters through the streets and directly into the residential area of Dronka, a village with a population of about 10,000.

Official figures from the WMO and Egypt’s Ministry of Health recorded 469 people killed directly by the fire at the oil tanks in Dronka.

Some studies, however, put the death toll at between 200 and 530. The estimates include people killed by the fire as well as those who drowned in the flash floods.

The disaster was one of the rarest of its kind in the world, showing how a lightning strike can result in hundreds of deaths.