Six killed in Madagascar lightning strike

The relatives -- including a three-year-old child -- were killed in the central village of Bakaro on Saturday. Another person suffered superficial burns.

"Twenty-five farmers sheltering from rain under a thatched cottage after leaving their rice field were hit by a lightning bolt," said medical inspector William Patrick Rakotondralambo of the Fitsinjovana commune.

"Six people from the same family were killed on the spot, including a three-year-old child," he added.

Eight survivors were treated for shock, Rakotondralambo said.

Lightning strikes are relatively common in Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island famed for its unique wildlife and well-known for its vanilla and precious redwood.