Freak lightening accident kills 4, injures 63 soldiers

Four army personnel were killed and 63 injured in a freak lightening accident in Polonnaruwa yesterday, police said.

The large group of military personnel fell victim to the heavy rains accompanied by severe lightning and thunder while undergoing routine training in the Minneriya, Katukeliyawa region. According to police, the soldiers had been inside a hut after their training, in close proximity to a water facility when they were struck by lightning and got thrown into the water.