Narrow escape for 70 students as lightning strikes Zilla Parishad

CCTV, computers, Ffns, and electrical setup damaged

Ramtek

A lightning struck Zilla Parishad School in Wadamba village of Ramtek taluka, on Friday afternoon creating a panic among over 70 students, teachers, and staff present at the time. Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the school building sustained cracks, and significant damage occurred to the electrical equipment.

Around 2:30 PM in the Deolapar area of Ramtek taluka, a sudden storm accompanied by strong winds and rain began. At the same time, lightning struck a neem tree next to the school's science lab and also hit the upper part of the lab itself. Adjacent to the lab is the sixth-grade classroom, which had 14 students present at the time. The intense thunder frightened the students, creating an atmosphere of fear throughout the school.

At the time of the incident, there were a total of 70 students, along with teachers and non-teaching staff, in the school. The lightning caused severe damage to the school's electrical systems, rendering the CCTV cameras, computers, laptops, 11 ceiling fans, tube lights, bulbs, and the entire internal electrical setup non-functional. Additionally, minor cracks developed on the walls and slab of the school building.

After the incident, the village sarpanch Mukesh Dubey visited the school to inspect the situation. Following this, Dinesh Divate, an employee of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), visited the site and conducted an inspection. Headmistress Sharda Kodape immediately reported the incident to Ramtek's Group Education Officer, Vijay Bhakare. Teachers and villagers have demanded prompt compensation for the damaged school materials.