A 31-year-old man died and six other farmers were injured when they were struck by lightning on a rice field in a commune in the northern province of Dien Bien on Sunday afternoon.

>> Lightning hits Vietnam couple indoors, kills husband The lightning occurred when the man, Lo Van Chung, was talking on mobile phone amid heavy rain and thunderstorms, at about 4:30 pm on May 25, the victims’ relatives said. Chung died on the spot while six others suffered injuries and were taken to the Thanh Luong Commune Health Center for emergency aid, said Do Thi Toan, a nurse at the center.

All these victims were harvesting rice on the field when the lightning occurred, Toan said. Of the injured people, a woman, Lo Thi Thanh and a man, Luong Van Dien, both 33,  were burnt seriously.

The two victims were later transferred to the Dien Bien General Hospital for treatment, Toan said. After receiving intensive treatment, both victims have overcome their critical conditions, doctors said. The other four victims, who suffered slight burns, have been discharged from the commune health center.  A similar case happened in the province on April 8, 2014, when Lo Thi Thanh, a resident in Muong Lan commune, was struck by lightning when she was talking on phone. The lighting also injured eight others who were standing near the woman.