Boy, 12, critical after being hit by lightning while playing football
He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
A schoolboy is fighting for his life after being hit by lightning at a school in Hertfordshire.
The 12-year-old and a man in his 50s were struck during a district football tournament at The Sele School in Hertford on Monday afternoon.
The head of Sele School Chris Quach said: ‘On Monday 2 October after school, there was a football tournament, organised by the district, which took place at The Sele School.
‘Unfortunately, during the tournament there was a lightning strike which affected several people, two of whom, one adult and one student from another local secondary school, were taken to hospital for treatment.
‘The entire staff of The Sele School, the wider school community and I would like to thank the emergency services, the parents and staff who were attending the match and were so helpful and our first aiders who did an amazing job while waiting for the emergency services to respond.
‘Our good wishes and thoughts are with the people who were injured.’
The boy was taken to Addenbrookes’ Hospital in Cambridge in a critical condition while the adult was taken to Princess Alexandra hospital.
Forecasters yesterday warned the UK would face a week of storms bringing rain and lightning to certain areas.
The Met Office said: ‘Thunderstorms with frequent lightning have already affected parts of the warning area, these continuing into the evening in places.
‘An increasing risk of longer-lasting intense downpours too, especially later this evening and further east across the warning area, for example towards south Lincolnshire and East Anglia.’
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