Three people died when lightning struck a boat on Monday night in the eastern province of Zhejiang, local sources said on Tuesday.

The boat was docked at Yangmei Island, near Fengmao Village in Chun'an County, when the lightning struck, leaving seven people in the cabin in a coma.

One person was declared dead at the scene, while two died on the way to a hospital. Four others were injured and taken for hospital treatment. One person was later discharged.

The victims were about to load the boat with waxberries they had just picked. One person had disembarked to tie the mooring rope and thus escaped injury.

South and east China have had days of heavy rain. The government of Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang, urged local officials to raise public awareness of the dangers of lightning.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2008)