Tragedy Hits Oda Senior High School

Tragedy hit the Oda Senior High School (ODASCO) last Wednesday, when lightning struck five first-year male students of the school, killing one and injuring four others in the process. The body of the deceased, Solomon Sarfo aged 20, has been deposited at the Oda government Hospital morgue, awaiting autopsy. The injured students, whose names were not immediately available, were also admitted to the same hospital overnight for treatment. Briefing he Daily Graphic at Akyem Oda, the senior housemaster of the school, Mr Isaac Kofi Acheampong, said all the second-year students of the school were on mid-term break last week, the school authorities organized games for the first year students, who had just been admitted to the institution. The deceased was one of the first-year students who represented Amissah Arthur House to play a football match with their counterparts from Ahenkorah House. Mr Acheampong said in the course of the game, it started drizzling, and soon, there were thunder and lightning. He said all of a sudden, the lightning struck the five students on the field, rendering all of them unconscious. According to the senior housemaster, the five victims were rushed to the Oda Government Hospital, where the medical officer on duty pronounced Sarfo dead on arrival. He said the four other students were admitted overnight and discharged. Mr Acheampong said the victims were later invited to the hospital for another check-up. He said the parents of the deceased, who are resident sin Accra, had been informed of the death of their son and they have visited the school and the hospital. Mr Acheampong stated that the parents had indicated their intention to bury the deceased at their village near Adeiso. He said the disaster had demoralized the entire students and tutors of the school.