PHNOM PENH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lightning strikes killed 84 people in Cambodia in 2023, up 33 percent from 63 deaths a year earlier, a disaster control spokesman said on Friday.
Besides the fatalities, thunderbolts injured 59 others last year, said Soth Kim Kolmony, the spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM).
"Climate change was the main cause behind the growing number of lightning strike incidents," he told Xinhua.
The provinces with the highest number of lightning strikes were Battambang, Siem Reap, Kratie, Kampong Thom, Takeo, Svay Rieng and Kampong Chhnang.
"To avoid the dangers of lightning strikes, people, especially those living in rural areas, should stay in houses or shelters when there is storm or rain," he said.
Kolmony added that to help prevent casualties in the future, the NCDM has planned to install lightning protection equipment in some high-risk areas.
Lightning strikes often occur during the rainy season from May to October in the Southeast Asian country. ■
