An assistant teacher and 16 pupils were injured when lightning struck beside Lamkupara Government Primary School in Ramgarh upazila of Khagrachhari, the loud blast and flash leaving them in shock.
The lightning hit a tree next to the school’s fourth-grade classroom at about 3:50pm on Monday (9 November). The injured were taken to the upazila health complex and given first aid.
According to the school, classes were under way as usual on Monday afternoon when lightning suddenly struck a tree just outside the fourth-grade classroom with a deafening crack. Panic spread among teachers and pupils across the school. The fourth-grade pupils were the worst affected by the noise and the flash. Assistant teacher Shahana Afroz, who was teaching the class, and 16 pupils were injured.
Head teacher Nilufa Yasmin said teachers and pupils were terrified by the sudden blast during lessons. Because the lightning struck right beside the fourth-grade classroom, Shahana Afroz and 16 pupils felt its heat on their hands, legs and other parts of the body. With help from local people, the injured were quickly taken to Ramgarh Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
Dr Anta Barua, the doctor on duty at Ramgarh Upazila Health Complex, said the teacher and pupils had been frightened by the noise and flash, and some had temporary numbness in parts of their bodies. Their condition improved after first aid. As they are now stable, they have been sent home and advised to rest.
The incident caused alarm among teachers, pupils and parents. But because the injured were taken to hospital quickly and treated in time, no serious complications have been reported.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report