Three criminology students from Saint Joseph College were hit by indirect lighting during a criminology activity at the Sunken Garden Capitol Grounds, Maasin City, last September 25, 2023. One died and two students survived.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) staff Venancio Samalca at that time explained, “We responded immediately. At 7:30 in the evening, three of them were rescued and transported to the provincial hospital. Two of them were declared safe but one of them needed most medical attention.”
One of the victims who survived is a 20-year-old resident of Barangay Basak, San Juan, and the other survivor is a 21-year-old student from Macrohon.
Nineteen-year old, Jhundel Ragas Sunganob from Baugo, Maasin City was transferred to Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban. However, he died the next day even after due medical attention.
Cadet 1st Lieutenant, Sunganob was described by his friends as brave, jolly, trustworthy, and a hardworking person.
The Saint Joseph College Criminology Department in a statement earlier said that the incident happened during the annual criminology week activities, and three students were hit by the ground current after a lightning strike on a tree. “That day the weather was tolerable, moderately warm in the morning and early afternoon becoming cloudy with mild drizzle in the late afternoon. Everything was well until a sudden burst of strong winds and downpour buffeted the area associated with lightning flashes brought about by a thunderstorm overhead.”
In the early morning of September 25, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) Regional Weather Services forecasted that the weather, due to Southwest Monsoon and Low-Pressure Area, would have scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.
Lightning strikes bad
