GRAFTON, OH — More than a dozen people were hospitalized Tuesday evening after a lightning strike at the Grafton Reintegration Center just before 5:30 p.m.
A steady stream of ambulances could be seen lined up and leaving the prison on Avon Belden Road throughout Tuesday evening.
According to a spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the lightning hit
as incarcerated individuals were returning from dinner.
There was no explanation as to why the victims were outside, with storms possible in the area, and no news conference was scheduled to take place in Grafton following what emergency dispatchers declared a mass casualty incident at the prison.
Ambulances were called to the prison from departments in Lorain, Cuyahoga and Medina Counties.
The center initially reported that eight people were injured, but later sent an update saying 16 inmates were injured.
All inmates were transported to an outside hospital for treatment.
One of them had to be flown for treatment.
In a statement, ODRC said no deaths have been reported at this time.
