BACOLOD CITY — Six persons were killed while about 15 others were injured after they were hit by a lightning Wednesday afternoon at Sitio Baras-barasan, Barangay Manlucahoc in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
Sipalay, the second farthest local governnment unit in the south, is located about 175 kilometers from Bacolod City.
Initial police report identified five children among the fatalities, four of them surnamed Seminion — Charlyn, 12; Rose Ann, 12; Arvin Niel, 10; May Ann Seminion, 9; and Mariel Montesino, 12. Another fatality was Mery Tejoc, 35.
Lolina Seminion, who was seriously injured, was brought to a hospital in Bacolod.
As of Wednesday night, the other injured were identified also as members of the Seminion family, including several children — Aira, 2; Wilma Fe, 9; Erick Mark, 12; and Romila, 13.
Others were Alvin Roy, George, Alma, Ronalyn, Ryan and Nia Seminion as well as Nelson Sipaway, Roy Balancas, Ryan Balansac, and Wilma Montesino.
Most of the injured were being treated at Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital in Sipalay.
Chief Inspector Nazer Canja, city police chief, said in a media interview the adult victims were workers of a sugarcane farm, and with their children, took shelter under a cane truck when it rained.
It was nearly 2 p.m. when the lightning hit them.
Witnesses said in a radio interview that they heard a loud explosion, then the children sprawled on the ground, some of them crying.
The Sipalay city government committed to assist the victims’ families. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
