A tragic event in Uthai Thani Province where a 30-year-old pregnant woman was killed by lightning. Her husband barely survived, suffering paralysis on one side, after heavy rain while they were packing fishing gear to prepare to return home.
At 16:30 on 8 May 2026, Police Lieutenant Man Phooyu, the duty officer at Thap Than Police Station in Uthai Thani Province, received a report of fatalities and injuries caused by lightning near Moo 1, Ban Tha Dan, Nong Ya Plong Subdistrict, close to the learning center reservoir in Thap Than District, Uthai Thani. He coordinated with the Thap Than Municipality Disaster Prevention and Mitigation team to promptly investigate the scene.
At the scene, they found the body of Ms. Wannipa Pongdee, 30, from Bo Yang Subdistrict, Sawang Arom District, Uthai Thani, lying dead under a tree. Her shoulder showed black burn marks from electric current. The injured person was identified as Mr. Anon Tipwan, 25, from Nam Rob Subdistrict, Lan Sak District, Uthai Thani, experiencing paralysis on one side of his body, likely caused by electric current from the lightning passing through him. Authorities rushed him to Thap Than Hospital, where his condition is now stable.
Investigators found two pairs of shoes, two bamboo fishing rods, one bag of bait, and about 15 fish caught, including scaled fish, catfish, climbing perch, and snakehead fish. Meanwhile, the tree where the couple sought shelter from the rain showed clear signs of a lightning strike, with the trunk visibly split and damaged.
According to the investigation, Ms. Wannipa, who was in early pregnancy, was the wife of Mr. Anon. The couple drove a Honda sedan from Sawang Arom District to fish with bamboo rods at the reservoir since the afternoon. They parked by the roadside and fished along the bank. In the evening, a severe thunderstorm with loud thunder erupted. They hurried to pack their equipment to return home but were struck directly by lightning. Ms. Wannipa died instantly, while her husband was injured as described.
Additional reports indicate that while police officers were inspecting and collecting evidence at the scene, lightning struck again nearby, producing a loud thunderclap. This caused officers and local residents watching the incident to panic and quickly disperse to their homes amid the continuing ominous storm.