Two men were killed in Kratie province on Monday afternoon after being struck by lightning, according to police.

Nhan Saoyun, deputy chief of staff at Snuol district police station, said the incident happened at about 4:30pm while Heang Vannareth, 35, and Chorn Chetra, 25, were working on a rubber plantation owned by Vietnamese company Binh Pheuk 2.

“Heang Vannareth was struck on his head and Chorn Chetra was struck on his neck,” he said, adding “It was an accident of nature, so no one could have predicted it.”

According to Saoyun, the deaths brought the number of fatalities caused by lightning in the area so far this year to four.

The incident came just days after two farmers – a father and son – were struck by lightning in Ratanakkiri province and rendered unconscious. Both have since recovered.

A report released at the end of June by the National Committee for Disaster Management showed a 50 per cent rise in storm frequency but fewer lightning-related deaths in the first half of 2015 as compared to 2014.