Lightning strikes kill dozens of pigs ready for sale.
With only about a week left until the pigs were due for market, a household in Bich Hao commune, Nghe An province, unexpectedly suffered a lightning strike, causing estimated losses of over 300 million VND.
On October 5th, in an interview with reporters from Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ky, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Bich Hao Commune, stated that the incident occurred at the home of Mr. Hoang Van Kinh in Tung Phuc village.
According to investigations, on the evening of October 4th, a thunderstorm with lightning struck Bich Hao commune. A lightning strike hit the livestock pens of Mr. Kinh's family, affecting his herd of 50 pigs. Twenty died immediately, and the remaining 30, although still alive, were weak, had reduced immunity, and were at risk of not recovering.
The pigs have been raised by the family for nearly four months, each weighing approximately 85-100 kg, and are only about a week away from being ready for sale. The pigsty is built with bricks, cement, and a corrugated iron roof.
The total weight of the pigs was over 5.5 tons. With the price of live pigs at around 57,000 VND/kg, the family estimates their losses at over 300 million VND.
According to our investigation, Mr. Kinh's family has been raising livestock for nearly 9 years. This pig herd was the result of a long investment and was just about to be sold when the incident occurred, causing the family significant losses and creating difficulties in securing capital to restore production and restock the herd.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ky stated that after receiving the information, the local authorities conducted a direct inspection at the family's home. The commune instructed the hamlet to draw up a report, specifically detailing the number of dead pigs, the number of surviving pigs with health problems, and the extent of the damage, in order to compile a report for higher levels to consider support policies.
According to the Nghe An Meteorological and Hydrological Station, from late afternoon and night of October 4th, many areas in the province experienced showers and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning due to the strengthening of the cold high-pressure system.
September and October are transitional months, often marked by thunderstorms and lightning. During thunderstorms, lightning typically strikes locations with favorable conditions, depending on distance, terrain, and surrounding objects.
Earlier, on the afternoon of September 25th, a 47-year-old woman in Nghe An was struck by lightning while riding her motorbike in a thunderstorm on a street in Vinh and had to be hospitalized for treatment.
