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Lightning from Tuesday’s storm seriously injures 3 and causes damage around Oahu

Rosemarie Bernardo
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Waikiki was barely visible from Manoa, Tuesday, as rain fell on Oahu. Three people, including a 10-year-old boy, sustained serious lightning-related injuries during Tuesday’s thunderstorm on Oahu.

Three people, including a 10-year-old boy, sustained serious lightning-related injuries during Tuesday’s thunderstorm on Oahu.

Honolulu firefighters responded to a report of an injury on Kalihi Street at approximately 9:05 p.m.

Honolulu Fire Spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant said the child was sitting in the bed of a pickup truck with his father as the vehicle was traveling on Kalihi Street when they saw a huge bolt of lighting in front of the truck.

Sparks flew out of a transformer above the vehicle and onto the pickup truck.

Seguirant said the child sustained significant pain to his right arm. Emergency Medical Services treated him and took him to a hospital in serious condition.

It is unclear whether the child was directly hit by lightning. However, Seguirant said his injuries would be more significant had it been a direct strike.

A 46-year-old man and 32-year-old man also sustained lighting-related injuries at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at about 8:45 p.m.

Both men were at a Terminal 2 gate at the time a lightning bolt struck an American Airlines aircraft. The men, described as contract service employees, were touching the plane when the aircraft was struck by lightning.

Both men sustained injuries to their left arms, according to Tim Sakahara, spokesman of the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

American Airlines said they did not work for the airlines. “They worked for two of our vendors,” said spokesman Ross Feinstein.

Sakahara noted one employee was a cargo worker and the other employee may have been working with a catering company contracted by the airlines

The state Air Rescue and Fire Fighting units stationed at the airport and EMS responded. The two men were taken to a hospital in serious condition and released shortly after.

Sakahara said, “Airport personnel sends out a notice to airport stakeholders when lightning is within five miles of the airport. It is an airline and company decision to determine if conditions are safe for employees to continue operations.”

Honolulu firefighters also responded to reports of three downed trees, four stalled vehicles and three water evacuations or flooding in various parts of Oahu that include Kailua, Mililani, Kalihi, Mapunapuna, Honolulu and Kakaako during the thunderstorm.

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