Lightning in central Philippines kills 5, injures 9

Five people were killed and nine injured when a bolt of lightning struck a makeshift hut where they hid from a storm, Philippine police said today.

The victims were harvesting rice yesterday near Ormoc city, 340 miles south-east of Manila, and took shelter in a small hut in a field when the lightning struck during a thunderstorm, Ormoc police said.

Five people were declared dead on arrival at Ormoc District Hospital, about seven miles from the scene of the accident. Another nine were injured, police said.