By Isaac Mission
A 15-year-old Junior Secondary School student has died after reportedly being struck by lightning in Ama Egbu, Ede Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The deceased, identified as Chinonso Ezema, was a JSS 3 student of Community Secondary School, Ede Oballa.
According to reports from the community, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening during a heavy downpour. The teenager was reportedly attempting to fix a metal structure used to channel rainwater into the family's water tank when lightning struck him.
He was said to have died instantly.
Speaking about the incident, the boy's elder brother, Nwachukwu Ezema, said the family was devastated by the sudden death.
He explained that he was summoned home after receiving a phone call about an emergency. On arriving at the family compound, he reportedly met a crowd gathered in confusion and subsequently discovered his younger brother lying lifeless on the floor.
The family member said residents informed him that the teenager had been struck while working on the metal water-channeling structure.
The incident has reportedly plunged the family into mourning, with the deceased's brother describing the loss as a painful experience for the entire household.
The latest tragedy also raises concerns over a series of lightning-related deaths reported in Nsukka Local Government Area.
Just three weeks earlier, two pupils, Nnadozie Asogwa and Wilson Nnasom, were reportedly killed by lightning at the Army Barracks area of Nsukka while attempting to pluck mangoes.
The latest incident therefore marks another reported lightning-related death involving children in the area within a short period.
