Lightning Strikes as a Cause of Death in Cuba

An average of 65 Cubans die each year due to the impact of lightning strikes, statistics from the Institute of Geophysics and Astronomy (IGA) revealed Friday.

The most recent of these episodes killed five people, two adults and three minors, on La Puntilla beach in Santa Cruz del Norte, 65 kilometers east of Havana, confirmed the national daily, Granma.

According to the IGA, the major incidents are recorded in the northern provinces of Pinar del Rio, La Habana, Mayabeque and Artemisa, and in the western part of Matanzas, all in the western part of the Cuban territory.

Research from the Institute states that this is the first cause of death in the country due to natural phenomena, and more than 1,500 people died between 1979 and 2013.

According to the President of the Cuban Society of Geology, Manuel Antonio Iturralde, the island sees vast electrical activity from July to September.

Among the protection measures fostered by the IGA is the 30-30 rule, which advises that people count the number of seconds between a flash of lightning and the sound of thunder. If the space between the two is 30 seconds or less, one should seek a safe place to shelter, and only leave it 30 minutes after the last rumble is heard.