Two students killed by lightning strike in Chennai

Two ITI students died on Monday night after being struck by lightning while they were on the terrace in their house in Anakaputhur, reported The Times of India. The deceased, Lokesh, (19) and his friend, Kishore, (17), were both studying at a private institute. The two were using their mobile phones when the incident happened, with Lokesh attending a call and Kishore listening to music. As it was raining, they both decided to climb on to the terrace and sit on a brick holding a huge black umbrella.  Kishore had come to Lokesh’s house for group study. After seeing lightning flashes around 8:28pm, Lokesh’s mother called out to them and asked them to come down. When she could not hear a response, she sent her husband to check and he found both of them lying unconscious. Lokesh’s parents rushed them to a nearby hospital and the doctor declared them dead on arrival.  The investigating officer told ToI that their umbrellas and mobile phones were half burned and both were found lying in a corner. Both of them had sustained burns on their back and thighs. A case of accidental death was registered at the Shankar Nagar police station.