Lightning kills three in Roi Et

[webfact]

Lightning kills three in Roi Et

ROI ET: -- Three people were killed when lightning struck a ramshackle house in the paddy field which they ran to take cover when summer rainstorm lashed the area yesterday.

The tragic incident happened at 4.30 pm at Ban Khamphra in Phanomphrai district of Roi Et province.

Killed were two farmers Vichien Tapleela, 37, his daughter Tananya, 6, and a neighbour Tawee Hasano, 54.

Phanomphrai district police said the three went out into the paddy field as the thunder rainstorm started to fall.

They then ran into a ramshackle house which is built near a big tree.

Shortly after they took cover inside the house with corrugated roofing, lightning struck on the roof, police quoted neighbours as saying during the inquiry of the cause of their deaths.

After the thunder rainstorm was over, neighbours went to the house and saw them dead with burns on their bodies.

Police said inspection of the scene showed that they had no mobile phone or carried Amy metal decorations on their bodies.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/162156


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-05

[thaiduncankk]

Tragedy.

[lostinisaan]

Terrible news, i hope there's a heaven for kids. I hope all happened very fast. RIP

I came back to Sisaket last night and saw the destruction today when driving around. Plenty of trees fell down, roofs got blown off etc...

[Docno]

"Police said inspection of the scene showed that they had no mobile phone or carried Amy metal decorations on their bodies."

What is the deal with Thais, mobile phones, and thunderstorms? My gf won't go near her mobile phone during a bad storm because she's convinced she could be electrocuted. In Singapore, where I spend most of my time, we are one of the most lightning prone places on the planet ... more than 180 days a year of lightning. Yet Singaporeans have their phones glued to their heads 365 days of the year.

[Docno]

I'm no electrician, builder, or engineer, so I'm wondering how this sort of thing could be avoided. I ask because my gf's family just built a new 'farm hut' on their land and I wouldn't want the same thing happen to them. What can be done to ensure, in the event of a lightning strike, the same tragedy would not befall anyone inside the structure at the time. Any photos to illustrate the precautions would be appreciated. Here's their new structure:

[Tywais]

A lightning rod, ground cable and a ground rod.

[ThaiKneeTim]

I'm no electrician, builder, or engineer, so I'm wondering how this sort of thing could be avoided. I ask because my gf's family just built a new 'farm hut' on their land and I wouldn't want the same thing happen to them. What can be done to ensure, in the event of a lightning strike, the same tragedy would not befall anyone inside the structure at the time. Any photos to illustrate the precautions would be appreciated. Here's their new structure:

DSC09311nik.jpg

Bang a bloody great length of metal (earth rod) as far into the ground as you can, the connect that earth rod to the metal roof with welding cable.

For added protection you could fit a further length of metal to the roof teaching skyward and connect that to the welding cable too.

The ideal situation is to be inside a Faraday Cage, a grounded metal cage that carries the killer current to earth before it can reach you.

[Issangeorge]

I am surprised the lightning would penetrate through the roof and strike the people. I could understand if they were touching the roof, but otherwise no. I guess I don't know much about how lighting works, I always thought if you were inside or undercover, you were safe.

[lvr181]

RIP and condolences to family and friends. So sad.

[Brer Fox]

Almost all Vietnamese homes haves lightning rods. Why not Thais? Maybe they believe their amulets will protect them.

[SOTIRIOS]

....sad....

[ThaiKneeTim]

I am surprised the lightning would penetrate through the roof and strike the people. I could understand if they were touching the roof, but otherwise no. I guess I don't know much about how lighting works, I always thought if you were inside or undercover, you were safe.

Lightning is electricity, it doesn't penetrate, it conducts through anything that has low enough resistance.

Rain conducts, and if a building is rain soaked it will conduct too! If you happen to be between the structure and ground, and you are the path of least resistance, then you my friend will be unlucky enough to be a lightning conductor.

The trick is to give the lightning an easier route by providing a low resistance path in the form of a metal pole above roof level, either on the roof, or fixed into the ground.

[MediaWatcher]

Far too much speculation, on this site, the fact is without any photographs, of the building, and where the bodies were found, there can be no real reason for this tragic event, but hey, this is speculation central.

[Issangeorge]

I do have a lighting rod on my house, and one on my water tower next to the house. However we don't have one on the rice house, I guess that will be the next project.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Far too much speculation, on this site, the fact is without any photographs, of the building, and where the bodies were found, there can be no real reason for this tragic event, but hey, this is speculation central.

Who needs photographs! We know from the information given that the victims sought shelter in a building and that their charred remains were found after the storm.

From this it is easy to deduct that they were killed by a lightning strike. We also know that has they're taken sufficient preventative measures they would significantly have improved their chance of survival.

It's a known fact that a Faraday Cage, even a rudimentary one, is the best possible option for protection in a storm. Putting a grounded conductive shield around yourself is many times better than getting in the way of a lightning bolt.