One man was killed and another injured by a lightning strike during a storm in Pailin province on Friday evening, authorities said yesterday.

Keo Vy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, identified the man who was killed as Yan Yat, a 36-year-old cassava farmer.

His co-worker, Voeun Narith, 26, was also injured in the lightning strike, and was unconscious for several hours.

Vy attributed the fatality to “carelessness” on the part of the victims.

According to the local police report, the two men were resting on a motorbike during a light rain shower, and were using a cell phone – the metal in which can serve to more readily conduct electricity into the body – at the time of the strike. The men were immediately rushed to the provincial hospital, but Yat reportedly died at the scene.

Vy said yesterday that in addition to Pailin, storms also struck the northwestern provinces of Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Oddar Meanchey, and damaged scores of buildings.

Eight homes in Battambang’s Phnom Proek district were affected, along with another 34 houses and three pagodas in Oddar Meanchey’s Banteay Ampil district.

Banteay Meanchey Provincial Hall spokesman Um Reatrey said yesterday that the storm either destroyed or tore the roofs off of about 20 homes and a school, but no injuries were reported.