DAVAO CITY —Six wedding attendees were affected when lightning struck a coconut tree in the interior part of Marilog District in this city on Saturday at around 2:00 in the afternoon.
Marilog Police Chief Police Major Nelson Violan said the victims were attending a wedding in Sitio Macabol in Barangay Salaysay Marilog when the incident happened.
Violan told Newsline Philippines “They were not directly hit by lightning but the impact of the lightning weakened them. The coconut tree was just about ten meters away and the impact affected them.”
The Police Blotter clarified the news that they had been struck by lightning.
Major Violan identified the victims as: 1. Jessel Camparan Bayo, 18 years old;2. Annabel Mendoza, female, 48 years old; 3. Albert Pagayao, male 17; 4. Chino Pagalan, male 8 years old; 5. Ernesto Pahulayan, male 42 years old; 6. Marily Mantiquilla, female 34 years old.
The victims who were all conscious were brought by Responding Ambulance number 17 of 911 to Kibalang Hospital,Marilog Davao City for treatment.
Trees are often hit by lighting because they are the tallest objects on the ground and closest to the storm cloud and the first thing in the path of lightning.