Three male students from a private secondary school in Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, lost their lives while playing football on the school field. The incident occurred during a rainstorm accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms.
According to an eyewitness, the students were practicing on the school’s pitch in preparation for a football competition when the lightning struck. Approximately nine students were involved in the game, and six of them were later resuscitated at the school’s clinic.
The eyewitness described how the coach had concluded the practice session before the rain started, but some students stayed behind to continue playing football. Lightning and thunderstorms suddenly enveloped the area, resulting in the tragic incident.
A teacher on the scene heard the students screaming and running, prompting him to rush to the field, where he found nine students trembling and jerking on the turf. The boys were immediately taken to the school clinic, then to a hospital in Awka. Six of them were resuscitated and are receiving treatment, but three did not survive. Their parents have been informed.
The tragedy has deeply affected the community, with residents expressing shock and sympathy for the victims and their families.
A doctor at the hospital in Awka confirmed that three of the nine boys were brought to the hospital dead, while the others were revived. The doctor also noted that the impact of the lightning might have been less severe if the students had been wearing boots while playing.
The school principal declined to comment, stating that he was not in the mood to make a statement at that time. The incident has not been reported to the police, according to the state’s police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga.
