3 killed by lightning strike in western Cambodian

　　PHNOM PENH, May 29 (Xinhua) -- A single lightning strike killed three rice farmers during a thunderstorm in western Cambodia's Pursat province, said a local police report on Friday.

　　The incident occurred Thursday afternoon in Bakan district's Meteuk commune during a thunderstorm, while the three individuals were sowing rice seeds, the commune police report said.

　　Also, on Thursday afternoon, another lightning bolt struck and killed 19 heads of cattle during a thunderstorm in northeast Ratanakiri province's Lumphat district, according to a Chey Udom commune police report.

　　Lightning strikes happen often during the rainy season from May to October in Cambodia.

　　According to the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), lightning strikes killed 45 people and 71 heads of cattle in the Southeast Asian country in 2025. ■