INQUIRER.net
TACLOBAN CITY — A 42-year-old farmer in Gandara town, Samar province, died after he was hit by lightning during a heavy downpour on Friday, March 24.
Joel Cailo was using a giant leaf as cover while walking in an open rice field when the lightning struck him at around 2 p.m.
Another farmer, Lito Velarde, was able to take shelter in a nearby nipa house about 15 meters away from Cailo.
Velarde sought assistance from a village official to retrieve Cailo’s body, which sustained severe burns due to the lightning strike.
Lightning strikes are one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the Philippines, particularly during thunderstorms. Experts suggest seeking immediate shelter indoors or inside a vehicle when a thunderstorm is detected.