A lightning that accompanied a heavy downpour is said to have struck three people dead and left six others with injuries.
The tragic incident, it was learnt, occurred at a secondary school in Anambra state, where the victims were said to be playing football on the field during practice ahead of a planned soccer tournament.
The victims were reportedly Senior Secondary School (SS3) students of an unnamed school in Awka South Local Government Area.
The incident happened at the weekend, when the students were doing football practice.
A source said the lightning struck nine students who were playing football with others on barefoot.
“The students were playing on the football pitch with their coach in preparation for a football tournament.
“The coach had ended the training session before the 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.
“A teacher heard the students screaming and running. He ran to the field and saw at least nine students trembling and jerking on the turf,” the source said.
Also, a witness said: “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 one of the hospitals in Awka.
“Six of the nine boys who were resuscitated and are currently receiving treatment, but three did not survive. Their parents have been contacted.”
It was earnt that the Anambra State Police Command or its police public relations officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, has not yet received any report of the incident.
