By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI – TWO persons were confirmed dead, weekend, after a mysterious thunder struck at Amike-Aba Community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The victims were said to have died when the thunder struck directly opposite the restaurant where they had gone to relax.

Vanguard gathered that the victims, Mr. Romanus Odeta, and his friend (name withheld), who was one of the candidates that wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, on 18 June, were in the restaurant located at Omege Avenue, Abakaliki, with others when the tragic incident occurred.

The tragedy followed a heavy downpour that lasted for several hours in the area and some parts of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

Narrating his ordeal, one of the survivors, Mr. John Nwamini, said:  “The thunderstorm struck and pushed down all the people in the restaurant.

“With this, some of us sustained minor injuries while two persons died.

“They were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Abakaliki, where they were confirmed dead by a doctor.”

The owner of the shop, Mr. Simon Nwamini, who expressed shock over the disaster, said he was not in the shop when the incident occurred.Nwamini also called on the state government to put measures in place that would ensure safety of lives and property,  especially during rainy seasons. He added that it was essential for persons to stay indoors whenever there was a forecast of heavy rainfall in the future.

It was gathered that the scene of the incident witnessed the presence of sympathisers who came to condole families of the deceased.