73 killed in lightning strikes

Yangon, May 7 (IANS) A total of 73 people have been killed in lightning strikes across Myanmar in the 2023-24 fiscal year (FY), the media said, citing the country's Department of Disaster Management report released on Tuesday.

Throughout the fiscal year, from April 1 last year to March 31 this year, Myanmar experienced a total of 67 incidents of lightning strikes across the country, with 27 people also injured due to these strikes, the official television channel MRTV report said.

The number of casualties attributed to lightning strikes across the country surpassed those caused by strong winds during the period, it added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

Consequently, the country's Department of Disaster Management is raising awareness about lightning safety to reduce the number of fatalities caused by lightning, the report said.