Six people were killed Monday night when lightning struck their boat near the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, according to police and eye witnesses.
The six victims, four women and two young boys from Kampot province, were crossing the Tonle Sap river by boat from Phnom Penh to Chroy Changvar village at 8:15 pm during a rain storm, Russei Keo Police Chief Tim Prosar said. After the lightning struck the boat, the driver swam to safety, but later fled to Vietnam, villagers said Wednesday.
Relatives of the victims in the village recovered the four women’s bodies Tuesday morning, witnesses from the village said. Police found the two boys’ remains Wednesday morning, according to Tim Prosar.
Witnesses said three of corpses had heavy burn marks, but the others appeared to have died from drowning.
