A graduation ceremony being held at London South Collegiate Institute was interrupted Tuesday evening after a powerful lightning strike damaged the building.
A video taken by someone outside the building shows the moment a lightning bolt hit the London, Ont., school’s chimney, causing it to crack.
The strike was so powerful that London fire crews responded to the scene.
The London Fire Department says the building is structurally compromised by the blast.
Brent Shea, a platoon chief manager with London fire, said crews were called in around 6:20 p.m. They arrived and found extensive damage.
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“A portion of the chimney had been missing,” Shea said. “With the roof evaluation and a quick look inside, we found a large section of concrete and bricks had smashed through the top of the roof, and the building was evacuated.”
He says there were approximately 400 people in the building at the time of the strike.
The students and families were moved to Saunders Secondary School, where the ceremony was able to continue.
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The Thames Valley District School Board said in a statement on its website that the school is closed on Wednesday due to the damage.
It said more information regarding final exams/assessments will be shared as soon as possible.
Shea said this situation is a good reminder of what to do in the case of severe thunderstorms.
“Be mindful of your surroundings and keep abreast of what the weather conditions are. If it is to be an electrical storm, obviously being indoors is the best possible place to be.”
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