Lightning strike shocks Bahamas: 8 students hospitalized amid stormy weather

The alarming development took the public by surprise as the island continued to experience heavy rainy showers and thunderstorms today.

Friday, 17th May 2024

Lightning strike shocks Bahamas: 8 students hospitalized amid stormy weather (Representative Image)

Bahamas: A total of eight students at the Bishop Michael Eldon School in Freeport, Bahamas were rushed to the hospital via ambulance yesterday after a lightning strike hit the concrete. The alarming development took the public by surprise as the island continued to experience heavy rainy showers and thunderstorms today. According to the information, lightning struck a tree near the school's computer lab as the students were line up to enter the class. According to one student who witnessed the incident, the nearby students fell to the ground, with some having blood drained from their ears. Meanwhile, meteorologists said that the unsettled weather in the northern region is associated with a cold front moving across south Florida. On the other hand, Principal of the institution, Cynthia Wells, said that the incident took place around nine this morning and adds three additional students were taken to the hospital by their parents as well. The first set that were taken, two of them had, bruises from the concrete. She also added there were numerous children complaining about the ringing in their ear because it was a loud thunderclap. According to the officials,although those students weren't directly hit, they're undergoing assessments and the other students have not been impacted by the lightning strike. The school was dismissed for all students except those were taking national examinations following the incident. The investigators believe that the lightning hit the palm tree and then traveled through the ground, through the roots, and hit the concrete pavement where the students were standing. It is also to be noted that the residents in Bahamas woke up to a hail storm on Thursday morning as inclement weather caused a stir on the island throughout the day. The weather in the country has now made a major shift to partly sunny, hot, and humid, with a few isolated showers along with a chance of an offshore thunderstorm possible later today. The Barbados Meteorological Office advised the residents to limit outdoor activities and to remain hydrated as high heat indices are expected along very high UV index during the peak hours of the day. Also, a relatively dry airmass saddled across the islands will enhance conditions for bushfire development which can reduce air quality and visibility.