Two Killed, 73 Houses Destroyed by Lightning in Northwest
Officials said two people were killed on Tuesday by separate lightning strikes in Pailin and Kompong Cham provinces as the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology issued a warning about seasonal storms spreading across the country. Searing temperatures and the approach of wet season ignited the first big lightning storms of the season, causing injuries and damage to property across five northwestern provinces on Tuesday. By the weekend, these conditions are expected to spread across virtually all the country, including Phnom Penh. … Some 25 houses were destroyed Tuesday night and another 125 damaged during a storm that raged across six of Banteay Meanchey province’s nine districts. At the same time, three people were injured and 48 houses were destroyed in Kompong Cham province. Oddar Meanchey and Battambang provinces also recorded minor property damage. Mr. Vy warned that bad weather will likely cause more damage as the week wears on. Cambodia has one of the highest rates in the world of lightning deaths. According to the disaster management committee, the rate is 7.8 deaths per million people. Last year, lightning killed 103 people with the majority of deaths in rural areas where farmers often work in the open without shelter. Many Cambodians are also seriously injured by lightning each year, however there is no authoritative government data available on lightning-related injuries. …
Ben Sokhean
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/two-killed-73-houses-destroyed-by-lightning-in-northwest-55648/
