Lightning kills 13-year-old boy in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA City, Philippines - A grade six pupil died after he was struck by lightning while playing inside the school ground in Kabasalan town, Zamboanga Sibugay on Tuesday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Alberto Paras Selen Jr., 13 years old and a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Nazareth of the same town.

Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, spokesman of Police Regional Office 9, said the victim started playing with his two classmates inside the Nazareth Elementary School compound at around 4:30 p.m.

Heavy rains prompted Selen's two classmates to get inside the room for shelter, but the victim opted to stay on the school grounds to play until the lightning struck him.

Selen died while being brought to the Kabasalan Pathfinder Estate Hospital in the nearby village.