Shanxi Wutai Mountain Scenic Area recently experienced an incident where multiple tourists were struck down by lightning. However, local authorities claimed that lightning hit the trees nearby, causing three people to fall to the ground in shock.
On July 31st, there were reports circulating online that several hikers in the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area were struck by lightning, with claims that “the older ones’ hearts had stopped suddenly”.
A video circulating online showed multiple people lying on the ground motionless. A voice in the video exclaimed, “It’s thundering, it’s thundering, crackle crackle, struck several people.” (video link)
Regarding this incident, the China News Weekly reached out to the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area Public Security Bureau and the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area Emergency Management Bureau. The staff stated that the reports were untrue and that “the matter has been resolved, and there were no injuries.”
A netizen who claimed to have witnessed the event told the China News Weekly that they and several others were hiking from out of town when the rain intensified. They were considering whether to continue to the summit when suddenly they and several fellow hikers were struck by lightning and fell to the ground. They described the experience as being like a flashbang, with a sudden white light before collapsing.
The witness mentioned that initially, they felt fine and even thought about continuing the hike, but upon getting up, they felt numb all over, speculating that maybe their hiking pole had conducted electricity.
A villager named Mr. Chen, who participated in the rescue, stated that around 11 a.m. that day, he was selling items at the foot of the South Terrace of Wutai Mountain when panicked hikers came down seeking help, claiming that multiple people had been struck by lightning. Upon reaching the scene, he found three hikers lying on the ground. Though they could move and were conscious, they appeared severely shocked, with pale faces. They expressed feeling uncomfortable all over and had difficulty articulating their thoughts.
Mr. Chen noticed that beside the fallen hikers were white poplar trees. He suspected that while the hikers were seeking shelter from the rain or resting under the trees, they were struck by lightning, causing their bodies to conduct electricity. When he asked them what happened, they couldn’t explain clearly, with one person saying it felt like they had a dream and woke up drenched all over.
According to the mainland media, Xinjing News reported that officials from Xinzhou stated that three hikers passing through the incident area were startled and fell to the ground when lightning struck the trees nearby. After being examined by medical staff, all three were confirmed to be out of immediate danger. Two of them went to the hospital for further checks while one left on their own.
The Wutai Mountain Scenic Area Management Committee announced that from July 31st to August 7th, there was widespread rainfall in the area, leading to the complete prohibition of hiking to the mountaintop at Wutai Mountain.
However, concerning the closure of the mountain, scenic area staff clarified that only the mountaintop area was closed off, while the rest of the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area remained open to the public.