Analysis of the Causes of a Lightning Injury Incident in Zhongshan City
LUO Zhiyong
ZHEN Xiaoqiong
YIN Qiyuan
HUANG Yuan
WU Jingzun
LIN Shiqi
XU Jinyan
Abstract：Based on multiband radar monitoring data from Zhongshan City and Guangdong lightning positioning system data,combining model calculations,we investigated a lightning strike incident on Shitou Mountain in Zhongshan City on April 5,2024.This event,which caused transient cardiorespiratory arrest and suspended animation in one victim,occurred at the southern periphery of a convective cloud cluster during brief showers.The lightning channel featured dual-ground termination points(peak current:-20 kA)that preferentially struck two adjacent trees before side-flashing to a victim located only 0.2 m away.Calculations indicate the victim experienced both a direct strike(2.312 kA)and step voltage(348.04 kV).A witness standing 1.1 m from the tree was exposed to about 22.6 kV step voltage(below the 43.96 kV safety threshold),reporting only finger numbness.The accompanying children at 2-3 m distance experienced 3.61-7.56 kV step voltage with no effects.
Keywords：lightning strikesuspended animationthunderstorm weatherside flashstep voltage
Publication Date：2025-08-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-23(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 476-484 )