Global Courant 2023-05-03 19:25:00
SHAH ALAM – A 50-year-old motorcyclist was fatally struck by lightning in Selangor, Malaysia, while on his way to work, Bernama reported. He was pronounced dead on the spot.
The incident took place at about 6:20 pm on Tuesday near Kampung Seri Cheeding in Banting town.
Local police chief Ahmad Ridhwan Mohd Nor Saleh said the victim fell from his motorcycle after being struck by lightning. Passersby carried him to the side of the road and called an ambulance, but the victim did not survive the bizarre accident.
The police chief added that the victim had injuries to his neck, abdomen and thigh from the lightning strike, as well as injuries to his chin and knees when he fell off his bicycle.
The lightning also “punched” two holes in the road, Ridhwan said.
In 2022, according to Malay Mail, a 12-year-old girl in Kelantan was allegedly electrocuted during a thunderstorm when she used her phone on a bed. Her father found burn marks on her arm and the mattress.
In 2019, a 39-year-old man in Kedah was also killed by a lightning strike, while his seven-year-old son survived but had 6 percent burns on his body, New Straits Times reported.
A study by Tenaga Nasional University in Selangor found that there were 125 lightning-related deaths and 157 injuries in Malaysia between 2008 and 2017.
