Bangkok: An electrical engineering expert stated that a rare lightning strike on a motorcycle delivery rider on an elevated bridge was not a coincidence but was linked to climate change, while the survivor's family confirmed he is now safe and recovering. The incident occurred during heavy rainfall on the Ratchavipha elevated bridge, where the rider was struck directly, causing him to crash and sustain severe injuries before being rushed to a hospital.
According to Thai News Agency, his wife reported that while he remains in the intensive care unit, he is conscious, able to eat, and can converse. He feels tightness and pain in his face due to being struck on the right side. As for the moment of the strike, he only remembers seeing a flash of lightning before blacking out, with no memory of any other events. Doctors are keeping him under observation for another 48 hours.
Dusit Suksawat, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, said a direct lightning strike on a moving motorcyclist's helmet on a bridge is unprecedented in Thailand. He explained that elevated structures act like tall buildings, and climate change has increased the frequency of "rain bombs"-intense, localized downpours that significantly raise the accumulated voltage in cloud formations.
Dusit noted that lightning victims often survive due to a phenomenon called "flashover," where extreme heat travels rapidly across the skin's surface in a fraction of a second, causing superficial burns rather than destroying internal organs.
Warning that lower cloud covers and higher electric charges will increase future risks, Dusit advised motorcyclists to seek shelter under bridges rather than remaining on elevated roads during storms, and to avoid open areas, large trees, and pointed umbrellas. He recommended that authorities install lightning rods on elevated roads to prevent future incidents.