News / Regional
20 pupils survive lightning strike
10 Nov 2014 at 17:16hrs | Views
AT LEAST 20 primary school pupils escaped death by a whisker in two separate incidents when lightning struck Tshitatshawa and Sasedza Primary Schools in Tsholotsho district.
The incidents occurred on Wednesday during heavy rains that pounded the Matabeleland North district.
"On Wednesday afternoon lightning struck Tshitatshawa Primary School and injured eight pupils," said village head Norman Ncube.
He said of the eight injured, five were girls while the other three were boys.
"Another school, Sasedza Primary School was also struck by a bolt go lightning on the same day and 12 pupils escaped with injuries," said Ncube.
He said five of the injured lightning victims are boys while seven others are girls.
Ncube said the 20 pupils had to receive medical attention following injuries sustained from the two bolts of lightning.
Police officials in Matabeleland North said they were still compiling a report of the incident.
According experts lightning is a powerful sudden flow of electricity (an electrostatic discharge) accompanied by thunder that occurs during an electric storm.
The discharge travels between the electrically charged regions within a thundercloud, or between a cloud and a cloud, or between a cloud and the surface of a planet.
The incidents occurred on Wednesday during heavy rains that pounded the Matabeleland North district.
"On Wednesday afternoon lightning struck Tshitatshawa Primary School and injured eight pupils," said village head Norman Ncube.
He said of the eight injured, five were girls while the other three were boys.
"Another school, Sasedza Primary School was also struck by a bolt go lightning on the same day and 12 pupils escaped with injuries," said Ncube.
He said five of the injured lightning victims are boys while seven others are girls.
Ncube said the 20 pupils had to receive medical attention following injuries sustained from the two bolts of lightning.
Police officials in Matabeleland North said they were still compiling a report of the incident.
According experts lightning is a powerful sudden flow of electricity (an electrostatic discharge) accompanied by thunder that occurs during an electric storm.
The discharge travels between the electrically charged regions within a thundercloud, or between a cloud and a cloud, or between a cloud and the surface of a planet.
Source - Radio Dialogue
