In a tragic incident, lightning struck and claimed the lives of three students from Tansi College, Okpuno, in Anambra State.
The unfortunate incident occurred during a football training session on the school field on a Sunday evening.
According to an eyewitness, nine male students were playing football, barefooted, with their peers on the school’s pitch when lightning struck. The students had been practicing under the guidance of their coach in preparation for an upcoming tournament.
Although the coach had concluded the training session before the rain started, some students remained behind to continue playing football.
The sudden lightning strike, accompanied by claps of thunderstorms, enveloped the area, and the boys were struck during the ordeal.
A vigilant teacher on the scene heard the students’ screams and observed at least nine of them trembling and jerking on the turf. The teacher promptly raised the alarm, and members of the community rushed to their aid.
The injured students were swiftly taken to the school clinic and later transferred to a hospital in Awka.
While six of them were successfully resuscitated and are currently receiving treatment, three of the students tragically did not survive.
A doctor at the hospital confirmed the loss of three students, with their parents claiming two of the bodies, while one remains in the mortuary.
The doctor expressed regret that the boys were playing barefooted, emphasizing that if they had been wearing proper football boots, the impact of the lightning might have been less severe.
As of now, the Anambra Police Command has not received an official report about the incident, as stated by DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson of the Anambra Police Command.
