Fujairah/Al Ain: As weather turned rough across the UAE, a 19-year-old college student was killed when lightning struck on Wednesday on the premises of the Higher College of Technology (HCT) in Fujairah.
The female Emirati student, who was waiting for a bus in the afternoon, died on the spot, a senior police official confirmed. Colonel Mohammad Benayah of Fujairah Police said the student was with five of her friends when the lightning struck and she fell to the ground. Her colleagues were shocked to see her motionless and were also taken to hospital.
Panic
The incident sparked panic among the students and seven were injured in a stampede. Part of the college building was also damaged by the lightning.
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, visited the seven HCT students in hospital and issued directives to provide the best medical care for the group, WAM reported.
Unstable weather that has occurred in the upper mountainous region of the country for the past several days extended to internal areas on Wednesday.
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Weather forecasters expect more scattered afternoon showers on Thursday and the danger of flash floods in the valleys. Meteorologists said an atmospheric low pressure area over southwest Asia is causing unstable weather in the UAE, Oman and parts of southern Iran. The area under the influence of the system also includes the Hajar mountains in western Oman.
Moderate to heavy rain was experienced in Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain and parts of Dubai and Sharjah on Wednesday. Sandstorms also hit various parts of the country.
