6 hurt in lightning strikes in Pangasinan town

VILLASIS, Pangasinan, Philippines — Six people were hurt by lightning strikes in separate instances during a thunderstorm here on Tuesday afternoon, police said on Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Jesus Manalo, town police chief, said two of the victims suffered burns and were being treated in a hospital.

The first lightning strike happened at 5 p.m. in the upland farming village of Capulaan here when five farmers ran to a hut in the middle of the rice field when heavy rain fell.

Manalo said lightning hit a wooden pole beside the hut, unleashing electric charge that was more than enough to injure the farmers.

The victims were identified as Arnel Mortera, 26; Ronnie Marcos, 33; Rolando Sadang, 25, and his twin brother Reynaldo; and Brian Amador, 17. Two of them were still in the hospital but Manalo said police did not say who among the victims were still confined, as of Wednesday.

The second strike took place in front of the Catholic Church here at about the same time, when a tricycle driver ran under an acacia tree as heavy rains fell.

Manalo said lightning hit the tree, hurting the victim, Roy Manzano, 34, a resident of neighboring Sto. Tomas town.