Four students died while two others suffered serious injuries when lightning hit them in the Southern African country of Malawi, police officials confirmed Friday.

Macpatson Msadala, a police spokesperson in the Dowa District, told Anadolu that the six students, whose ages range between 15 and 17, were all from Kaungwe Community Day Secondary School in the district and together with four others were staying in a house close to the school on Thursday.

“They were all in the house when the lightning struck them. Four died on the spot, while two were rushed to Mtengowanthenga Mission Hospital where they are currently being treated for serious injuries,” Msadala said.

According to George Mkambeni, education advisor in the district, the area received large amounts of rain on Thursday accompanied by thunderstorms.

“It’s quite tragic that we can lose this huge number of students in just the blink of an eye. We are very shocked and terrified at the same time,” he told Anadolu.

Malawi has been experiencing torrential rains during the past few days which have resulted in losses of both lives and property.

The country is still recovering from the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy, which hit the country in 2023, killing thousands of people and displacing about 1 million others.

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