Tragedy Strikes Tansi College in Anambra as Lightning Claims Lives of Three Students

A shocking incident unfolded at Tansi College in Okpuno, Anambra State, as a bolt of lightning struck and tragically claimed the lives of three students. The unfortunate event occurred during a Sunday evening football training session.

According to an eyewitness, the students were engaged in a football practice session on the school’s field when the unforeseen tragedy struck. Nine male students, playing football barefooted, were struck by a sudden lightning bolt amidst claps of thunderstorms. The coach had concluded the training session as rain began, but some students remained on the pitch, continuing their game.

A teacher, alerted by the students’ screams and commotion, rushed to the scene and discovered at least nine students trembling and jerking on the ground. An alarm was raised, and members of the local community swiftly gathered to provide assistance.

The injured students were promptly transported to the school clinic and later transferred to a hospital in Awka. While six of them were successfully resuscitated and are currently receiving medical care, tragically, three of them did not survive the incident.

A hospital doctor, who chose to remain anonymous, confirmed that three of the students were brought into the hospital already deceased, while the others were revived. The families of two of the deceased students have claimed their remains, while one remains in the hospital’s mortuary.

Expressing his sorrow over the incident, the doctor highlighted that the students were playing barefooted, emphasizing that if they had been wearing proper football boots, the impact of the lightning strike might have been less severe.

As of now, the Anambra Police Command has not received an official report about the incident, according to DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the police authorities in the state.

In response to this tragic event, Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 2023 election, expressed his condolences and described the incident as a “great loss.” He took to his social media account to share his grief and support for the affected families and the college community.

“I am greatly saddened by the unfortunate natural disaster that happened at Tansi International College, Awka, this weekend. It was reported that 9 students of the College were struck by thunder, on Saturday, November 4, during a rainstorm,” Peter Obi wrote.

“Sadly, three of the students lost their lives, while the rest are responding to treatment at the hospital. I commiserate with the bereaved families, students, and management of the College. May God give all the strength to bear this great loss.”

The tragic incident has left the local community in mourning, as they grapple with the loss of these young lives in such a shocking and unforeseeable manner.