Lightning hits Clinton State School in Queensland, leaving 15 students and teachers in hospital

A lightning strike at a primary school left 15 students and teachers in hospital on Tuesday.

Clinton State School in Gladstone, Queensland. Source: Facebook

A lightning strike at a primary school left 15 students and teachers in hospital on Tuesday.

Paramedics were called to Clinton State School at Gladstone, in central Queensland, shortly after 1.30pm reports of a lightning strike between two trees on the school’s main oval.

Thirteen children aged between 10 and 12 and two teachers were treated for tingling and numbness in their limbs.

All were in a stable condition with mild symptoms. They were taken to Gladstone Hospital as a precaution.

The group was lucky to escape serious injuries, Queensland Ambulance Service acting senior operations supervisor Greg Christensen said.

“The main complaint was anxiety. The kids were pretty wound up over the incident but also complaining of tingling to the lower limbs, that was a pretty common complain,” he added.

“It could have turned out very differently. Things we might have expected to see where burns and other injuries but luckily we didn't see any of that today.”

The remaining students were ordered inside after the strike, the Queensland Department of Education said.

#Clinton - Paramedics are on scene assessing 16 patients for mild tingling symptoms after lightning struck nearby at a location off Harvey Road at 1.33pm.

— Queensland Ambulance (@QldAmbulance) December 8, 2020

“Teachers were in the process of moving students off the oval due to rumbling overhead and lightning in the distance when the strike occurred. There was no rain at the oval at the time of the strike,” a spokesman said.

“The Queensland Ambulance service was contacted immediately to assess staff and students in the vicinity of the strike.”

Year 6 children had taken part in an end-of-year water slide session earlier in the day but the celebrations had wrapped up by the time of the lightning strike, according to the department.

A post on Clinton State School’s Facebook page around the time of the incident said the weather had caused concern among students.

“We are experiencing a severe weather condition (storm with lightning and thunder). We had a few frightened children with the loud claps of thunder and lightning and have reassured them that they are safe,” the post said.

“We have asked all students and staff to remain in classes as the storm is near by.

“Our priority is to keep our students safe so we will advise closer to the end of the day if students will be released. Otherwise students will remain in their classrooms until it is safe to release them.”

Storms were expected in parts of central Queensland on Tuesday, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning residents of Yeppoon, Marlborough, St Lawrence, Dysart, Nebo and Byfield to brace for severe weather conditions, such as damaging winds and large hailstones.

Meteorologist Pieter Claassen said satellite images showed a storm had passed over Gladstone at the time of the incident bringing “a bit of lightning activity”.

“A thunderstorm formed just inland of Gladstone, about 80km west, around 12.30pm and moved towards the coast.”

The city had recorded about 16mm of rain by 3pm, with Mr Claassen flagging the possibility of additional storms into the evening.