Lightning strikes kill at least 13 cattle and set house ablaze in Kachin State, upper Sagaing Region and northern Shan State

At least 13 cattle were killed by lightning strikes, while a house was reportedly damaged by fire in parts of Kachin State, upper Sagaing Region and northern Shan State, according to local residents.

At around 1 pm. on September 16, strong winds and thunderstorms hit Tanai, Kachin State. Thirteen cows sheltering under a tree near the Shwe Nan Thike purified water factory in Du Kaung Ward were struck by lightning and killed, according to local sources.

On the night of September 10, a house in Ma Bhin Township, northern Shan State, was struck by lightning and set on fire, according to some villagers. There were no casualties as there were no people inside the house. Locals also said that cattle were killed by lightning in Pinthachay Village, Ale Seik Group, Intaw Township, upper Sagaing Region, on the same night.

A resident of Indaw Township said, “People had to go under the tent and hide. Lightings were struck like bullets for over an hour. Lightning often struck trees. It’s like we are in a battle.”

Meteorologist U Htay Tint said that the strong El Niño caused heavy rains in China, India, and Nepal, and that on September 10 and 11, rain fell across Myanmar, with heavy rains in Sagaing Region and northern Shan State.

On August 26, 2022, a motorcycle shop caught fire in Moe Kaung, Kachin State, killing two female clerks.

On July 8, 2022, lightning struck a shed in a field near Moe Kaung, killing 24 cows.