Pretoria - Nine school boys from King Edward VII High School in Johannesburg are receiving treatment at Milpark Hospital after being struck by lightning on Tuesday afternoon.
“While details are not clear, it appears that the boys were pulling covers on the cricket field after practice when lightning struck,” Gauteng Education spokesperson Charles Phahlane said.
Two of the boys are in intensive care, while the other seven are stable. The learners are between the ages of 16 and 18 years, and their families have been contacted.
Phahlane said the department will send trauma counsellors to the schools and will initiate investigations into the matter.
Meanwhile, four girl learners from Protea Glen Secondary School in Soweto, all 16-years-old, were also struck by lightning on Monday while on their way home after school. One is still in intensive care, while others are stable.
The department is providing support to these learners, said Phahlane. - SAnews.gov.za
