Most people, thinking of dangers in Cambodia, immediately suggest landmines and other ERW (Explosive Remnants of War). And the landmines are a threat. We average a casualty every three to four days–40 years after most of the mines were put down.
Another very big and on-going menace, though, is lightning. We’re in week 21 of this year and already 51 people have been killed by lightning. That’s more than two a week. In addition 40 others were injured, and 53 cows and buffalo were killed. Much of Cambodian life is lived outdoors. Rain or no rain, in the warm climate, the farming goes on and the children keep playing, and the lightning keeps striking.