The beginning of the rainy season in the Michoacán capital spelled tragedy for a young boy and his family.
Nine-year-old Christian Alberto was killed instantly by a bolt of lightning yesterday afternoon outside his school in Morelia.
According to witnesses, the third-grader and several other students had taken shelter under a large tree on the school grounds during a sudden rainfall.
Lightning struck the topmost branches of the tree before striking Christian.
Another student who took shelter under the tree said the lightning “set the sky on fire.” When the bolt struck, he ran to inform a teacher, who called the police.
Teachers attempted to resuscitate the victim without success. According to the emergency responders, the child was killed instantly.
State Civil Protection services issued a warning yesterday that this year’s rainy season promises heavy rains and hurricanes, bringing hail, high winds, flooding and electrical storms. The agency urged residents throughout the state to take appropriate precautions and to stay tuned to weather alerts.
Lightning is one of the leading causes of weather-related fatalities, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An average of 33 deaths a year were caused by lightning in the U.S. between 2204 and 2013.
AccuWeather advises seeking shelter indoors if at all possible during a lightning storm, and avoiding trees and tall structures. Water is also to be avoided. The weather forecaster urges taking shelter immediately upon hearing thunder at the beach, in the pool or in a lake.
