PASIR MAS: A Form Two student's body appeared to be smoking after he was struck by lightning while fishing in a padi field in Kampung Tasek Berangan here around 4.30pm today, his cousin recalled.
"When the lightning struck, all four of us fell backwards, and at that moment, I saw Ziad's body smoking," said Haziq Qayyum Rosli, 12.
Haziq is the cousin of Muhammad Ziad Zikri Abdul Hadi, who was killed in the incident.
Haziq, who sustained an injury to the back of his right shoulder, said they were walking towards their motorcycles to return home due to sudden heavy rain when the incident happened.
"We arrived at the padi field at 4pm. But it suddenly rained and I asked Ziad and our other friend if we could go home because I was worried the rain would get heavier. At that time, there was no lightning yet.
"However, Ziad asked us to be patient as we had just arrived and he had already caught two fish, so he still wanted to continue fishing.
"At that moment (when lightning striked), I saw Ziad's body smoking, and we ran home to inform Ziad's father," he said when met here.
Haziq said he initially thought Ziad had only fainted, before others arrived and told them that he had died.
"The four of us liked fishing at that spot and never expected this to happen.
"I am very sad because the four of us were so close," he said.
Earlier, Ziad's father, Abdul Hadi Abdul Ghani, 60, said he rushed to the padi field and cradled his son after learning that the boy had been struck by lightning, only to find that he was already dead.
Recounting the incident, Hadi said he had been asleep at home when his youngest of five children went fishing with a friend and cousin.
Ziad was a student at SMK Sri Kiambang here. His body is expected to be buried tomorrow morning.
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