By Ikemefuna Asika, Awka
Tragedy struck in Anambra State on Saturday when thunder lightning hit nine students of Tansian College, Nodu, in Awka South Local Government Area, killing three of them.
The students were reported to be playing football barefooted in the school football field of the mission owned school when the lightning struck following a mild rain.
They were all Senior Secondary School 3 students.
A source revealed that the students were practicing on the football pitch with their coach preparatory to a football tournament.
“The coach had ended the training session before rain started, but some of the students stayed behind to continue playing football.
“Lightning, accompanied by claps of thunderstorm suddenly enveloped the area and the boys were struck in the process.
According to the source, “A teacher in the school heard the students screaming and running. He ran to the field and saw at least nine students trembling and jerking on the turf.
“That was when he raised the alarm and people gathered to help. The boys were immediately rushed to the school clinic, from where they were taken to a hospital in Awka.
“Six of the nine boys were resuscitated and are currently receiving treatment, but three did not survive. Their parents have been contacted,’’ the witness said.
At the hospitall in Awka, parents and sympathisers trooped into the ward where the survivors were receiving treatment.
A doctor, who requested anonymity, said three out of the nine boys were brought into the hospital dead, but six others were revived.
“As of now, parents of two of the dead boys have taken the corpses away, while one is still in the mortuary.
“It is sad that they were playing on the field barefooted. If they had boots on, the impact of the lightning would probably have been minimized,’’ he said.
When contacted, police spokesman in Anambra, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the incident is yet to be reported to the police.
Speaking on the incident, Prof. Chukwudi Okani, Consultant Pathologist at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, said it was a natural disaster and not spiritual.
Okani said lightning could kill by electrocution through direct strike, side splash or ground current strike.
He advised that people should install thunder arrestors in their buildings to stave off electrical current in the event of lightning.
