Thirteen children aged between 10 and 12 and two adults have been taken to hospital after lightning struck the grounds of a central Queensland school this afternoon.
Paramedics were called to Clinton State School in Gladstone at about 1:30pm.
The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said a lightning bolt struck either the ground or a building near the school oval, where the children were taking part in their end-of-year celebrations.
Some of the children reported feeling tingling and numbness in their legs, while one of the adults reported chest pain.
The patients were taken to hospital as a precaution.
Students were being moved off oval
In a statement, a Department of Education spokesperson confirmed the lightning strike, but said there was no rain on the oval at the time.
The QAS was contacted immediately "to assess staff and students in the vicinity of the strike".
The department also dismissed suggestions that students were engaged in water play at the time.
"Year 6 students had taken part in a traditional end-of-year water slides earlier in the day," the spokesperson said.
"There were no water activities in operation on the oval when the lightning strike occurred.
"Guidance counselling and support is being offered to any students or staff who may require assistance."
'The kids were pretty wound up'
QAS acting senior operations supervisor Greg Christensen said the lightning had struck between two trees on the school oval, frightening the students.
"The main complaints were anxiety, the kids were pretty wound up after the incident," Mr Christensen said.
"But also complaining of tingling to the lower limbs, that was a very common complaint among all of the patients actually."
He said five paramedics attended the scene.
"The initial scene was a little chaotic, children were obviously distraught at what had just happened but it calmed very quickly once we assured them everything was okay," he said.
"It could have turned out very differently, with burns and other injuries, but lucky we had none of that there today."
School says its priority is to keep students safe
Clinton State School posted a message on Facebook saying it was "experiencing a severe weather condition".
"We had a few frightened children with the loud claps of thunder and lightning and have reassured them that they are safe," the school said.
"We have asked all students and staff to remain in classes as the storm is near by.
"Our priority is to keep our students safe so we will advise closer to the end of the day if students will be released.
"Otherwise students will remain in their classrooms until it is safe to release them."
Thunderstorms have been building this afternoon across Queensland's central coast and adjacent inland.
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2020-12-08 05:18:00Z
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