Sep 15, 2008
DPA
Phnom Penh - Often armed with little more than a sprig of mistletoe and some magic words to ward off lightning, superstitious Cambodian farmers annually venture into flat, flooded rice paddies to work, and each year dozens get struck dead, officials said Monday.
The problem is so bad that for the past two years at least, lightning has killed far more Cambodians than landmines, despite it remaining one of the most heavily mined nations in the world.
According to official statistics quoted in the English-language Cambodia Daily Monday, 77 people have died from lightning strikes so far this year compared to nine landmine deaths through to July. In 2007 the paper said lightning killed 45 Cambodians and landmines claimed 26 lives.
Bu Ky, a farmer in central Kampong Thom province, said lightning is a constant fear, but most locals have little knowledge about why it strikes. Victims are often stigmatized as having 'bad karma.'
'More than 60 per cent of farmers here believe a necklace blessed with magic words will protect them,' he said. 'Mistletoe is a very popular lightning charm.' The majority of Cambodia's population of 13.4 million farm.
Director of the Cambodian Meteorology Department, Long Savuth, said a lack of funding and plain ignorance was also a problem.
Last year the department found funds to print a scant 8,000 copies of a leaflet educating farmers about lightning dangers, but then found it lacked the money to distribute them.
By comparison, aggressive landmine awareness campaigns by the government and international aid groups mean few Khmers are ignorant of that danger, but still lack awareness of the natural danger of lightning.
'If someone is struck by lightning, people believe covering them with a white cloth will cure them. Of course CPR would be better, but nobody knows how to do it or even what it is,' Savuth said. 'Everyone thinks about landmines. Few donors think about lightning.'
The problem is so bad that for the past two years at least, lightning has killed far more Cambodians than landmines, despite it remaining one of the most heavily mined nations in the world.
According to official statistics quoted in the English-language Cambodia Daily Monday, 77 people have died from lightning strikes so far this year compared to nine landmine deaths through to July. In 2007 the paper said lightning killed 45 Cambodians and landmines claimed 26 lives.
Bu Ky, a farmer in central Kampong Thom province, said lightning is a constant fear, but most locals have little knowledge about why it strikes. Victims are often stigmatized as having 'bad karma.'
'More than 60 per cent of farmers here believe a necklace blessed with magic words will protect them,' he said. 'Mistletoe is a very popular lightning charm.' The majority of Cambodia's population of 13.4 million farm.
Director of the Cambodian Meteorology Department, Long Savuth, said a lack of funding and plain ignorance was also a problem.
Last year the department found funds to print a scant 8,000 copies of a leaflet educating farmers about lightning dangers, but then found it lacked the money to distribute them.
By comparison, aggressive landmine awareness campaigns by the government and international aid groups mean few Khmers are ignorant of that danger, but still lack awareness of the natural danger of lightning.
'If someone is struck by lightning, people believe covering them with a white cloth will cure them. Of course CPR would be better, but nobody knows how to do it or even what it is,' Savuth said. 'Everyone thinks about landmines. Few donors think about lightning.'
8 comments:
May lightning strikes ah kwack fore head at noon time !!!!!!!!!
Go to HELL ah kwack and his scum bag gang retarded ourang otang !!!!!!
During Pol Pot Era,we worked under rain or storm. That needs to stop and be told to our farmer. Everyone should know that water attracts lighting. They need to get off the water and find some shelter when it rains or storm and especially when they see lighting flashing across the sky.
នៅក្នុងចំនោមព្រឹត្តិការណ៍វឹកវរទាំង......???
Could I wish many people grow talent and potential like MICHAEL PHELP? That's great man to see him won countless gold medals.
Khmers has such talent and potential?
8:40PM if every one just like Phelp so there is no medals for any body, fool!
6:11 go read more before you give any stupid advise!
Hun Sen bad breath kills more than lightning.
Anything goes up will go down.
But ah kwack Hun Sen and his gangster CPP
will going down to hell.
lets go into every countryside and farmland and install metal postings elevated to where lightning will hit these metal rods. That way nobody is hurt, people should also be taught not to run to trees since they are most likely to attract electricity. Please inform Khmers on what to do. If lightning does occur, go flat on the ground or find shelter besides a tree! Trees = Death
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