Boy, 12, fighting for life after being struck by lightning during school football tournament

A 12-year-old boy is fighting for his life after he and a man in his 50s were struck by lightning at a school in Hertfordshire.

The schoolboy and man were hit during a district football tournament at The Sele School on Monday afternoon.

The East of England Ambulance Service attended the scene at 5.16pm and the child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a “critical condition”. The man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital for “further care”. His current condition is not known.

In statement on Facebook, headteacher at The Sele School, Chris Quach said: “There was a district football tournament organised by an external body at The Sele School. Sadly, a young boy from another school and an adult was struck by lightning during this event.

“They have been taken to the hospital. Myself, the entire staff at Sele and wider community would like to thank emergency services, the community and our first aiders who were quick to respond whilst waiting for emergency services.”

The Sele School is a mixed secondary school based in Hertford, Hertfordshire and has more than 400 children enrolled.

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 5.16pm with reports that two people, a 12-year-old boy and a man in his fifties, had been struck by lightning in Welwyn Road, Hertford.

“We sent East Anglian Air Ambulance, two ambulance officer vehicles, an ambulance, a BASICS vehicle and a rapid response car.

“The child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical condition and the man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital for further care. Both were conveyed by land ambulance.”

It comes after thunderstorms, intense rain and winds hit parts of central and southeastern England on Monday evening.

Lightning also hit a food waste recyling plant in Oxfordshire. Residents reported hearing an “explosion”after the anaerobic digestion facility, located in Yarnton near Oxford, was struck by lightning.

This resulted in a biogas tank exploding. Locals shared videos and images on social media showing the huge fire.

Jack Frowde, 34, from Oxford, who works at Oxford University, said: “I was sitting in my kitchen when the whole room lit up with a brilliant white light, then followed by a huge crack which sounded like really heavy thunder.

“I looked out of the kitchen window and it was as if the sky was pulsating orange. I ran to the back to capture the orange glow as it faded after about 20 seconds.”