A heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra as lightning struck a group of Senior Secondary School students on a football field. The incident occurred on a Saturday, leaving three lives lost.
According to an eyewitness, the lightning targeted nine male students who were playing football barefoot with their peers. They had been training for an upcoming tournament when the sudden lightning, accompanied by thunderstorms, struck the area, leaving the boys in distress.
The school's coach had already concluded the training session, and the rain began shortly after. However, some students decided to continue playing, which unfortunately led to the tragic event. A teacher, hearing the students' screams and seeing them in distress, raised the alarm, prompting people to rush to their aid.
The boys were swiftly taken to the school clinic and later transferred to a hospital in Awka. While six of the students were successfully resuscitated and are currently receiving medical attention, three of them, tragically, did not survive. Their parents have been notified.
Mrs Hope Egwu, a resident, revealed that the news of the accident left the community in shock and disbelief. At the hospital in Awka, concerned parents and sympathisers gathered around the survivors, hoping for their recovery.
A doctor at the hospital confirmed that three of the nine boys had arrived at the hospital deceased, while the others were revived. Notably, it was emphasised that wearing proper footwear could have potentially minimised the impact of the lightning.
The incident has not been reported to the police, according to the Anambra State Police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga. Consultant Pathologist Prof. Chukwudi Okani explained that the tragedy was a natural disaster, and he advised the installation of thunder arrestors in buildings to mitigate the risk of lightning strikes.
