EDITOR
Fourteen students from St. Paul’s Rugarambiro Secondary School in Nyundo Sub-county, Kisoro District, were rushed to Kisoro Hospital this afternoon after being struck by lightning during a heavy downpour.
The school’s headteacher, Mr. Obiyari Emmanuel, confirmed the incident, which occurred at around 2:30 PM when lightning struck the Senior One and Senior Two classrooms. The strike caused panic, with students fleeing in fear.
According to Emmanuel, 14 students were rescued and taken to Kisoro Hospital, where six remain in critical condition. He noted that the names of the affected students would not be released at this stage, as teachers are still verifying the exact number of those impacted. Some students may still be unaccounted for.
He further observed that most of the critically injured students were not wearing rubber shoes at the time of the incident. Emmanuel appealed to parents to provide their children with proper rubber footwear, especially during the rainy season, to reduce the risk of lightning-related injuries. He also advised students to avoid wearing open shoes while at school.
All 14 students are currently admitted to the hospital’s emergency ward, where they are receiving medical attention.
