Lightning strikes peeping toms

2003-06-15 22:20

Taipei - As if it was divine retribution, three men were struck recently by lightning while they peeped at a pair of passionate lovers having sex in a car in a hillside area in Taipei, police said on Sunday.

Hiding in a broken hut and each using a high-powered telescope, the three were so oblivious as they watched the lovers' act that they did not notice lightning flashing in the sky before a bolt hit the hut, the police said.

"All three were hit at the same time, but survived as they appeared to have evenly shared the impact of the super-high voltage electric current when the lightning struck," a police spokesperson said.

The officer said the three, who remained speechless for several hours, suffered minor burns in the skin of their hands and legs, while their hairs were all standing and their stares were fixed.

Doctors later said the three had a narrow escape because if there had been only one of them in the hut, the one struck would have been killed instantly, the police officer quoted a diagnosis report as saying.

As for the lovers, they quickly drove the car away after the lightning flashed and heavy rains started pouring down ... without even knowing what had happened, the officer said. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA