The viral video that showed a group exploring the Chinese desert had a message saying they were “in extreme danger”.
After it rained, the shocking truth is that this family almost lost their lives in the Kumtang Desert of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
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You will never forget this. Do not laugh…run,” said one viewer under the South China Morning Post YouTube video.
Stay away from tall metal trees and other objects. You can lie on the ground if you don’t see anything like this around.
The other person said: “Those unknowing parents are putting their children’s lives in grave danger.”
If your hair stands on end, lightning is about to strike you, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).
NWS warns those who encounter this phenomenon to bend over and drop to their knees, but not to lie down flat. “Wet soil is good at conducting electricity.”
It is also a good idea to get inside of a metal vehicle, if you are in a large house or building.
Some rocks and fences may develop a glowing or buzzing appearance.
After five minutes, the tourists left after hearing sizzling noises coming from their mobile phones.
The mere fact they shouldn’t have been holding the phone and should know that it was electricity increases their attraction to lightning, wrote a third observer.
It could have ended badly for them had the odds not been in their favor that day.
This is a very dangerous situation. If it happens, you should get down to the lower levels and lay on the ground for a while until the avalanche passes. Just moving and stirring the air could be enough to cause an avalanche to break.
If you own a vehicle, as these people do, get into it. Cars are very safe during lightning storms.”
A British tourist to the Greek island of Rhodes, 26-year-old Scott Seddon, died in May when struck by lightning while paddleboarding.
The following month football referee Mustapha Bello was killed by a lightning strike during a match in Nigeria.
In the UK, British woman Natalie Stevens received a warning that she also was “close to death” after taking a photo of herself on sand with her long hair in raging thunderstorms.
People were quick to point out in the comments of her selfie on Facebook how fortunate she was to survive the experience with stormy weather looming.
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