A 59-year-old man was struck and killed by lightning in the middle of a rice field on Monday evening as he was walking home with his cattle in Prey Veng province’s Pea Reang district.
Mesar Brachan Commune Chief Sun Kha identified the victim as Seng Phin.
“According to the villagers, while he was walking home with his cows, it started raining, with lightning and thunder. He was struck to death immediately at the site,” he said.
National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Keo Vy said that more than 100 people have been either killed or injured by lightning in Cambodia this year.
“From early January to 11 July 2017, lightning killed at least 52 people and injured 56 others. 55 cattle have been killed as well,” Vy said.
However, he added that incidents of deaths or injuries by lightning should slow down during the brief dry season between the end of July and mid-August.
As of the end of May, weather-related deaths and injuries were down from last year, according to the NCDM.