Six Injured and One Dead After Lightning Strikes Beach in Gangwon-do, South Korea

◀ Anchor ▶

The day before yesterday, lightning struck the beach in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, injuring six people.

A man in his 30s who was taken to the hospital died.

Thunderstorms continued on the beach yesterday, making tourists anxious.

This is reporter Kim In-seong.

◀ Report ▶

119 rescuers perform CPR on a man lying on the beach.

Surfers rescue other people lying down.

At around 5:30 in the afternoon, lightning struck the white sand of Seorak Beach.

[정주희/목격자]

″I heard the first sound of lightning in my life. Hearing the cracking of ‘bread’… ″

On the beach, there were people who came ashore after surfing and people who were walking.

[이동현/목격자]

″I (the surfers) exited (withdrawal) and (thunderbolt) hit “bread” while returning. By the time I looked, people were already down.”

Of the six people struck by lightning, a man in his 30s died while receiving treatment at the hospital.

You can see that there are pits dug here and there where eyewitnesses said the lightning fell.

Witnesses said lightning struck and holes 5 to 60 cm in diameter were formed.

In addition, sand and seaweed were scorched black, and pieces of burnt Styrofoam were also found.

Lightning and thunder came again in Gangwon-do.

Tourists were enjoying surfing on Sago Beach, but as the sound of thunder increased, surfers also fled out of the sea.

The surf company urged people not to wear metal accessories such as necklaces or watches when the weather is bad, and to get out of the sea and evacuate to a safe place if they hear thunder.

This is Kim In-seong from MBC News.