TWO men dead after thunder storm in Alfonso lista, Ifugao; Lightning strike possible cause

Alfonso Lista, Ifugao – Two unidentified men were found dead late Saturday night, May 30, in Barangay Sta. Maria, Alfonso Lista, with authorities investigating whether a lightning strike may have caused their deaths.

According to the Alfonso Lista Municipal Police Station, the victims were discovered lying near a kiosk in Sitio Dadap, close to the Jesus Christ Savior Global Outreach Church, at around 11:30 p.m. Responding police officers and emergency personnel rushed them to the Potia District Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival.

Initial medical findings suggest that the two men may have suffered respiratory arrest. Authorities are considering a possible lightning strike as a contributing factor due to the heavy rains and thunderstorms that affected the area on the night of the incident.

Investigators said the men may have sought shelter in the kiosk as the weather worsened.

However, officials emphasized that the lightning strike theory remains preliminary and is still subject to further medical examination and investigation.

Lightning can be deadly, as its powerful electrical charge can stop a person's heart or breathing and cause severe injuries. Electricity from a lightning strike can also travel through the ground, nearby objects, or metal structures, meaning people do not have to be directly struck to be injured.

According to the World Health Organization, lightning kills and injures thousands of people worldwide each year, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where people are often outdoors during thunderstorms.

A 2024 study titled “Lightning Fatalities in the Philippines, 2006–2021” found that the country recorded 1,584 lightning-related deaths from 2006 to 2021, averaging about 99 fatalities annually. Most victims were young men in rural areas. These incidents commonly occur in farms, fishing grounds, construction sites, and other open spaces where people are exposed during thunderstorms.

In the Cordillera region, mountainous terrain, frequent storms during the rainy season, and the large number of residents engaged in agriculture make communities more vulnerable to lightning-related hazards.