PERTH, Australia, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A group of students from Australia were making their way home this weekend after their teacher and a youth worker with them died in Thailand.
The students from Winthrop Baptist College in Perth, Australia, were visiting Tad Tone waterfalls, northeast of Bangkok when they were caught in a thunderstorm and struck by lightning, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Sunday.
Social sciences teacher Greg Crombie, 41, died Saturday, along with three Thai nationals. A 19-year-old youth worker with the group, Thomas McGuinness, was critically injured and later died in a hospital.
Benny Ho, pastor of the Winthrop Baptist community, said everyone was saddened by the deaths.
"It's been a big tragedy, something that has shocked our hearts within our community," he said. "I think we just want to offer a prayer on their behalf."
The group, which was a week into a three-week cultural exchange program, were expected to arrive in Bangkok Sunday.
The newspaper reported the college's principal and a counselor arrived in Thailand to meet the group to escort them home to Perth.
