Video shows man directly hit by thunderbolt

CCTV footage in Jakarta, Indonesia has captured a security guard who luckily survived a direct hit by lightning, according to local media.

The 35-year-old, working as a guard for a company dealing with heavy machinery in the north of Jakarta, was on duty when lightning struck him.

In the video, shared by an Indonesian media company and reposted on social media, the man can be seen walking in the rain under an umbrella, with what looks like huge military vehicles parked in the area. Some 15 seconds after he enters the frame, a blast and sparks can be seen in the very place he walked, and the footage then shows him lying on the wet ground. He fails to get up, and people run toward him.

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The incident happened earlier this week, local media reported on Sunday, adding that police have confirmed the news.

The man survived, having suffered burns to his hands, according to Detik News. He was initially treated at a hospital, but is now recovering at home. It is believed the guard’s walkie-talkie, which he had in his hands, attracted the lightning discharge. 

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The odds of being struck by lightning depend on a number of factors, including geographic location. For instance, deaths from such a cause annually reach hundreds in India, while in the US lightning kills an average of 50 people a year. Those who survive, may suffer cardiac arrest, severe burns, and lifelong brain damage. Men are targeted by thunderbolts more often than women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which states that around 85% of lightning fatalities are men. Carrying an umbrella is also believed to increase chances of a direct hit, as it makes a possible target higher.