BINANGONAN, Rizal — Lightning struck in the middle of Laguna Lake near this town last Thursday, killing three friends who had gone out fishing, police reported Friday.

Senior Superintendent Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, Rizal Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, identified the fatalities as Melchor Ibañez, 16; JR Mercado, 16; and Franklin Inclan, 25, all residents of Santiago Street, this municipality.

Miano said all three of them were declared dead on arrival at the hospital shortly after the incident on Thursday afternoon.

Investigator-on-case, PO3 Sonnie Dones, said the three victims either sustained burns in their arms and legs while one of them had burnt hair.

It was learned that the three neighbors went fishing in Laguna Lake around 12:30 p.m. during a drizzle when lightning suddenly struck them.

Police observed that the weather at that time was almost as abnormal as the freak incident, noting that the sun was out while there was light rain.