A video of four men struck by lightning was circulating on social media on Thursday. The horrific video was shared with the caption ‘Don’t stand under a tree when it rains’ and has over 11 million views.
‘Don’t stand under a tree when it rains’ is an old video being re-shared
The video is of an incident in March 2021 in Haryana, India. Four horticulture staff members were standing under a tree at a housing society in Gurugram district, India Today reported.
Don't stand under a tree when it rains☹️
— Tansu YEĞEN (@TansuYegen) August 10, 2022
The men survived to tell their tale. The four victims were taken to a hospital and treated for their burns.
The horticulture employees were taking shelter under a tree to avoid the rain. The video ‘Don’t stand under a tree when it rains’ shows the moment they were jolted by the thunderbolt and fell to the ground.
The video was re-tweeted by @TansuYegen. It was originally shared by Sheela Bhatt, a journalist in New Delhi, on March 12, 2021.
Death by lightning
Lightning is not just eye-catching, but dangerous. Over 2000 people die from lightning strikes each year, according to National Geographic.
A lot of people survive but they suffer from long-term symptoms such as dizziness, numbness, memory loss, or life-altering diseases. Strikes can also cause severe burns and cardiac arrest.
The average American has a 1 in 5000 chance of being struck by lightning during their lifetime, National Geographic’s website said.
Last week (August 6), a similar incident took place in Washington. Three people died and one was injured following a lightning strike in a park near the White House.
The victims were standing under a tree for shelter, CNN reported. According to John Jensenius, an expert at the National Lightning Safety Council, the incident emphasizes “the need for people to get to a safe place any time a thunderstorm is in the area”.
“Even a distant rumble of thunder should serve as a warning to get inside a substantial building or hard-topped metal immediately,” Jensenius said.
“The incident also underscores the danger of sheltering under a tree, as images from the scene show victims near a tall tree. Lightning tends to strike the tallest object in the immediate area, which is often a tree.”
