THIS is the shocking moment a lightning strike knocks five uni students to the ground, leaving two fighting for their lives.

The split second lightning flash was captured on video at a university in north India.

The footage shows the group huddled together under a tree as they desperately seek shelter from the pouring rain.

But just as they appear to have escaped the downpour, the shocking moment arrives.

A brief flash can be seen as the lightning strikes.

And the group of students is immediately flattened to the ground as the bolt hits.

All five appear completely motionless on the floor in the split second after the flash.

The incident attracted the attention of a few other bystanders who were walking past, who can be seen looking back at them in concern.

Others can be spotted running away in the corner of the video.

After a brief moment, one of the five students manages to get up from the ground while his friends are still out cold.

Without a second’s hesitation, he sprints away from the scene.

He quickly returns with a group of good Samaritans who come to the aid of the unconscious students.

The new arrivals start to check the victims are okay as the video clip ends.

All of the students who were hit are reported to have suffered burn injuries in the terrifying ordeal.

Two are said to have been in critical condition.

The students are believed to attend Teerthanker Mahaveer University in India’s northern Uttar Pradesh region.

While your chances of getting struck by lightning are very small, a number of precautions are recommended.

People are usually advised to remain indoors where possible during a thunderstorm.

Where this is not possible, avoid areas near water and stay away from tall objects like trees and lampposts.

Be careful around metal objects, as they can attract lightning.

Squat down with your head tucked in if you are in an exposed area, but do not lie flat on the ground.

Instances of people being hit by lightning are rare, but the few who get unlucky are likely to suffer burns.

Last year, 10 people were seriously hurt in Germany after lightning hit a river bank.

Two of those affected had to be resuscitated after suffering cardiac arrest.

But the odds of being struck by lightning are less than one in a million – and almost 90 percent of victims survive – according to the CDC.