In a very tragic incident, lightning from a severe thunderstorm in northwestern Tanzania killed six school children and their teacher on Monday. The mishap took place while they were attending their classes in an enclosed room.
The lightning struck at Nyakasanda village and a teacher along with six students died on the spot, reported a local leader in the Kasulu district of Tanzania's Kigoma region.
A total of 17 other school children were injured in the accident. The lightning bolt struck the school premises after a spell of very heavy rain followed by thunder and lightning. As per the official press release, the accident occurred on Monday, February 23 when the teacher and the students were inside the classroom.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was reported to be "shocked and saddened" by the incident and requested teachers and students to remain calm and show mental fortitude to bear this untimely demise of young children. All the school children who were killed by the lightning bolt were in the age group of 11 to 14 years. All the other children who were traumatized due to this sudden accident were evacuated to the safety of their respective homes. Reportedly, they are still in the state of shock.
