Tragedy struck in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State as lightning fatally struck three Senior Secondary School (SS3) students.

An eyewitness shared with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident occurred on Saturday, November 4, 2023, when a group of nine male students was engaged in a barefooted football match on the school’s pitch.

According to the witness, the students were participating in a practice session for an upcoming football tournament, supervised by their coach.

The training session had concluded, but some of the students chose to remain on the pitch to continue their football game.

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Suddenly, a lightning strike, accompanied by claps of thunder, descended upon the area, resulting in the injury of all nine boys.

A teacher, hearing their screams and observing their distress, rushed to the scene and discovered the students trembling and convulsing on the ground.

The teacher quickly alerted others, and a crowd gathered to provide assistance. The injured students were promptly taken to the school clinic and subsequently transported to a hospital in Awka for further treatment.

Out of the nine students, six were successfully resuscitated and are currently receiving medical care, while three tragically did not survive. Their parents have been informed of the heartbreaking news.

Mrs. Hope Egwu, a local resident, mentioned that the news of the accident circulated within the community.

At the hospital in Awka, concerned parents and well-wishers gathered around the ward where the surviving students were receiving treatment.

An anonymous doctor revealed that three of the nine boys were brought to the hospital deceased, while the remaining six were successfully revived.

He lamented the unfortunate circumstance, highlighting the risks of playing barefoot during a lightning storm and suggesting that wearing proper footwear might have mitigated the impact of the lightning.

Commenting on the incident, Professor Chukwudi Okani, a Consultant Pathologist at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Awka, stressed that this was a natural disaster and not a result of spiritual causes.

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Prof. Okani explained that lightning can be fatal through electrocution via direct strike, side splash, or ground current strike.

He also advised individuals to install lightning rods (thunder arrestors) on their buildings to divert electrical current in the event of a lightning strike, enhancing safety during thunderstorms.