The scene of the lightning strike where the woman was injured in the accident. [Photo/ youth.cn]

Lightning strikes mother bringing umbrella to son

A woman in southern China was struck by lightning when she tried to deliver an umbrella to her son who was caught in the rain, the New Express reported.

The woman was sent to hospital in Guangzhou with a burn on her chest, but doctors said she was in a stable condition.

Her son went for a morning run when he was caught in a downpour on Monday near Haizhu district's wetland park.

He received a text on his mobile phone from his mother asking whether he had brought an umbrella and he told her he was sheltering from the rain.

He later received a call from a member of the public saying his mother had collapsed on a bridge near the park.

He found his mother, whose full name was not given in the report, lying on the ground, her clothes torn and with a burn on her chest.

Doctors said she may have been struck because she was wearing "metal objects".

Shen Han, a physics professor at Zhongshan University, was cited in the report as saying that the metal umbrella likely acted as a conductor for the lightning, while the metal underwire in her bra diverted the surge of energy away from her vital organs, possibly saving her life.

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