Lightning Kills 2 in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan Region Amid Heavy Rain
Lightning struck and killed two people in the Saudi governorate of Al Edabi in the kingdom’s south-western Jizan region.
The incident occurred on Friday night in Al Edabi, located in eastern Jizan, which experienced heavy rains.
Jizan has seen dozens of deaths resulting from thunderous lightning this year amid repeated warnings from competent agencies to keep off strike-prone sites, reports said without giving specific figures.
In August, a lightning strike reportedly triggered a fire that burned down several palm trees in Saudi Arabia’s western city of Taif.
A video circulating on social media showed a set of palm trees in flames, purportedly caused by lightning during rains that hit Taif.
The Saudi Civil Defence said at the time its personnel had put out a “limited” fire that had hit six palm trees in Wadi Wej, causing no casualties. Authorities did not give the cause of the fire.
Also in August, Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, experienced downpours and a fierce storm that prompted a temporary closure of educational institutions and a shift to online learning.
Cleaning workers at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s most sacred site in Mecca, were seen in a viral video losing their balance and being blown away due to gale-force winds.
Another video showed a bolt of lightning striking the Clock Tower, a landmark building located in the vicinity of the mosque. No casualties were reported.
