Australian teen killed by lightning

SYDNEY — An Australian teenager struck by lightning while playing football died from his injuries after a week in intensive care, reports said Thursday.

Jackson Marsh, 18, died in Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia where he had been on life support since the strike on July 12 during a severe storm, the Adelaide Advertiser newspaper said.

Witnesses said they saw a flash and heard a “massive crack” before Marsh fell to the ground, blue and not breathing.

He was resuscitated by onlookers and spent a week, including his 18th birthday, in intensive care but died Wednesday night.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, between five and 10 deaths in the country are caused by lightning each year.