Mother of deceased Asanteman SHS student disputes electrocution claims

The mother of a 17-year-old final-year student of Asanteman Senior High School, identified as Harrison, has rejected reports that her son died from electrocution after a thunderstorm struck while he was charging his phone.

The incident reportedly occurred at Meduma in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region during a rainstorm.

Initial reports indicated that the student was electrocuted while using a mobile phone connected to power.

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However, the deceased’s mother, in an interview sighted by GhanaWeb on May 15, 2026, has challenged that account, insisting that the circumstances surrounding her son’s death were different from what has been reported.

According to her, she returned home after closing from work and found her son lying in an unusual position.

“It wasn't true that my son was killed by a thunderstorm. I came home after closing my shop to meet my son lying down with his hands clutched together and his mouth on his hands like he was praying. So, I called out his name and touched his head, which fell on his shoulder,” she said.

The grieving mother explained that she initially did not realise her son had died until she examined him closely.

“So, I raised his head to see his face and supported it with my hand, only to see tears on his face. I wiped his face, and at the time, I hadn’t even realised what had happened to my son,” she added.

She further claimed that she discovered the mobile phone lodged in his throat while it was connected to power.

“While checking on him, I noticed that his phone was stuck in his throat, choking him while it was charging. So, I hit the phone from my son’s throat and carried him on my lap. His neck had gotten burned. It was then that I realised that my son was dead,” she stated.

Questioning claims that lightning caused her son’s death, she argued that neither the charging socket nor the phone showed signs of damage usually associated with electrocution.

“The phone he was charging and the socket didn't get burned, so how can it be that a thunderstorm killed my son? His body wasn't hardened or stiff, as in the case of electrification, but it was still soft, as at the time of his death,” she said.

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Earlier reports indicated that Harrison had returned home from school and plugged in his phone during the rainstorm.

Eyewitnesses claimed he was making a call while the phone remained connected to power when lightning allegedly struck.

Police have since commenced investigations into the incident.