Lightning hits mourners; 1 dead, 7 hurt

A woman who was on her way to a dead neighbor’s wake was fatally struck by lightning while seven other mourners were injured in Guimaras last Tuesday, authorities said.

Marilou Ecol, 45, suffered severe burns and died on the spot as she and the seven others sought shelter from the rain under a shed in Nueva Valencia town, said provincial disaster relief coordinator Teresita Siazon.

Ecol’s 12-year-old daughter, Mariel, who was hugging her mother when the lightning struck, suffered second-degree burns on her body, Siazon said in a phone interview.

Two boys aged 12 and 16 also suffered burns but were not seriously hurt, Siazon said. – AP