A 27-year-old woman died after she was struck by lightning while crossing an open field with her child during a localized thunderstorm in Alcala, Pangasinan,

The victim was identified as Estila Lopez. The incident happened shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Barangay Laoac.

According to her partner, Lopez had gone out to buy snacks and was heading home when the weather worsened suddenly.

“Bumili daw sila ng meryenda diyan sa kabilang kalsada. Dito sila dumaan sa bukid, tamang-tama pauwi na sila. Dun din sila dumaan sa bukid. Bago ’yung kidlat nag-shortcut sila sa bukid, ’yun dun daw ’yung tinamaan ng kidlat,” Melvin Solimen, the victim’s partner, said.

Witnesses said Lopez’s three-year-old child was with her during the incident but was unharmed.

Solimen said he struggled to process what had happened and expressed relief that their child survived.

“Hindi ko rin po alam ang gagawin ko na kung dalawa pa silang nawala,” he said.

Police and the municipal health officer responded to the scene and declared Lopez dead on the spot.

Authorities reminded residents to take extra precautions during thunderstorms, especially in open areas where lightning strikes are more likely to occur.

“Ah, paalala rin sa mga residente natin dito sa Alcala na mag-ingat lalo na sa open area dahil ’yun po ang kadalasan nakikidlatan lalo na sa ganitong tag-ulan,” Police Senior Master Sergeant Mario Quiocho, investigator at the Alcala Police Station, said.

Lopez’s family is now appealing for assistance as she left behind three children.

Authorities also reminded the public to avoid using electrical devices during thunderstorms, stay away from power lines, seek shelter inside buildings, avoid roofless vehicles, keep away from bodies of water, and avoid standing near tall objects such as trees and utility posts in open spaces.