Lightning Strikes Malaysian School Teacher

A teacher died and two others fainted after a lightning strike at a secondary school in Tanjong Karang on 29 January 2016.

A group of about 40 teachers were gathered at the school for a football coaching course. When the thunderstorm approached around 4:20pm local time, the teachers took shelter near a metal gate entrance to the school.

A flash of cloud-to-ground lightning struck teacher Mohd Farhan Masudi, 32, who died on the way to the hospital. Two other teachers that rushed to Masudi’s aid suffered electric shocks and fainted upon attempting to assist him. The two only suffered minor injuries.

The above video shows the total lightning for the area between the local hours of 8am-8pm. As you can see from the video, the lightning strikes snuck up on the region of Tanjong Karang from both the north and the south.

Staying safe from lightning on school grounds and other recreational sites like football fields is crucial for students, coaches, athletes, and spectators alike. One of the best ways to prevent lightning related deaths and injuries in these cases is to have a plan in place before severe weather arrives. Real-time, lightning triggered alerting systems including horns and strobe lights keep people safe when storms are approaching and minutes matter. It’s also crucial to never stand near anything that can conduct electricity, like a metal gate or tree. The safest place during a thunderstorm is a building.