SIBU, Oct 28: A worker is believed to have been killed by lightning in an incident at an oil palm plantation, Lengan Estate, Jalan Sibu-Tanjung Manis yesterday evening.
The Indonesian victim, 49, was found unconscious by his friend at the scene.
Sibu District Police Chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the police investigation revealed that the victim who was found unconscious was believed to have been hit by lightning while about to return in a lorry.
“We received information from the estate manager that an Indonesian worker died believed to have been struck by lightning,” he said.
He said the victim was taken to the farm office located one kilometer from the scene by the driver of the farm truck.
Police then rushed to the scene and their preliminary investigation found that before the incident, the deceased was with a coworker harvesting palm fruit.
“After working for several hours, a witness, a lorry driver, was waiting to take the deceased back to the workers’ quarters .
“Suddenly the witness heard a loud bang of thunder and when he went down to check the back of the lorry, he found the deceased lying on the lorry and was in a state of unconsciousness. The deceased was then taken directly to the farm office” he said.
Stanley said at the time of the incident, it was raining heavily and there were thunderstorms.
According to Stanley, the case investigating officer who conducted the examination of the deceased’s body found that there were black marks such as burns and scalds on the back of the deceased’s body.
“We believe the victim died at the scene as a result of being struck by lightning,” he added .
He added that doctors have also confirmed that there were no suspicious injuries as a result of criminal acts during the examination of the body of the deceased who was brought to Sibu Hospital.
Police have classified the case as sudden death until the autopsy report is released. — DayakDaily
