Lightning strike sets car on fire in Bangkok

Cars being safe from lightning must be a myth, because a Sedan parked in the Rama 9 area of Bangkok burst into flames when it got struck by lightning during a thunderstorm last night.

At 7.29pm, Rama 199 Radio Centre received a report that a car was on fire at the Government Housing Bank carpark in Huai Khwang district.

Luckily, no one was inside the parked car when lightning struck. It took firefighters 15 minutes to put out the blaze.

Witnesses saw the vehicle get struck by lightning, but officers from Huai Khwang Police Station said they will check CCTV footage to confirm the cause of the fire.

Lightning is very common in Thailand. So how can we protect ourselves during a storm?

“When thunder roars, go indoors.” The best thing we can do in a storm is seek shelter in a sturdy building.

When you’re inside…

• Avoid water: do not bathe, shower or wash dishes because lightning can travel through a building’s plumbing.
• Do not touch electronic equipment e.g. laptop, computer, washing machine, dryers or stoves.
• Avoid windows, doors, porches and concrete.
• Don’t use corded phones.

If you’re outside with nowhere to go, follow these tips…

• Immediately get off elevated areas e.g. hills, mountains ranges or peaks.
• Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball position with your head tucked and hands over your ears.
• Never shelter under an isolated tree. If you’re in a forest, shelter near lower trees.
• Never use a cliff as shelter.
• Get away from ponds, lakes any other bodies of water.
• Stay away from things that conduct electricity (e.g. barbed wire fences, power lines or windmills).
• If you’re in a group, separate from each other. Don’t huddle.
• If you’re swimming and a thunderstorm comes, get out.
• Avoid open spaces e.g. golf courses, football fields, playgrounds, parks, lakes, swimming pools and beaches.
• Stay away from tall structures e.g. telephone poles and trees. Lighting tends to strike the tallest object around.

In May, a woman was struck dead by lightning while herding her cows into their shed to escape the storm in Buriram, northeast Thailand.

SOURCE: Sanook