According to the victim's family, he had stepped out of his house on Friday evening and was speaking over the phone when he was struck by lightning. (Representative image)
A 30-year-old man died after being struck by lightning while he was speaking over the phone in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors, after considering the seriousness of his injuries, referred him to the district hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries on the way.
According to his family members, the victim, Rohit Kumar Sinha, had stepped out of his house on Friday evening and was speaking over the phone when he was struck by lightning. This caused the mobile phone in his hand to explode, leading to his death.
"He had returned home from work and had stepped out to inspect the ongoing toilet construction work at his house when he was struck by lightning," said a relative of the victim.
"The mobile phone attracted lightning and this was likely the reason behind the blast, leading to the death of the victim," said a doctor who attended to Rohit.
According to the doctor, mobile phones contain radiation and magnetic components, which attract lightning strikes.
Comment: For the years between 2013 and 2019: 773 people killed by lightning in 7 years across Nepal