16 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a lightning struck a seventh day Adventist church in Rwanda.

The incident is reportedly to have happened in Rwanda`s district of Nyaruguru on Saturday.

According to reports, most of the victims died instantly when lightning occurred.

Two people died from their injuries, and 140 people were rushed to hospital and health centres.

It is also reported that another lightning struck 18 students in the same district Nyaruguru on Saturday.

Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.

The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.

Local news portal Panor Actu reported that a number of the closed churches did not have required lightning rods – devices intended to protect a structure from a lightning strike.