Two brothers and cousin killed after reportedly being struck by lightning in Sepang

Two brothers and their cousin were killed after reportedly being struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree during heavy rain in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi (BBST), Sepang, Malaysia, on Monday, 9 November 2026.

The victims as brothers Mohd Sahrif Marusin, 26, and Mohamad Ahzam Marusin, 16. Their cousin, Mohammad Safwan Aksan, 18, also died.

Sepang District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Norhizam Bahaman confirmed the incident in a statement issued the same day, as reported by Bernama and The Star.

Victims had sheltered after repairing a vehicle

ACP Norhizam said police received a report of the incident at about 3.34pm.

He said the three men had taken shelter under a tree after repairing a vehicle nearby.

“All three victims were found lying unconscious under a tree,” he said in the statement.

“Medical personnel from Hospital Putrajaya confirmed that all three men had died,” he added.

ACP Norhizam said all three victims had been taken to Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang for post-mortem examinations.

Images spread online before official confirmation

Before police issued their statement, photographs and video recordings from the scene had spread widely on social media, according to the Malay-language daily Kosmo!.

According to Kosmo!, the images showed three individuals lying on a wet road surface beside a large tree in a public field in BBST. Police officers could also be seen at the scene.

A Facebook user who shared the images said three people had died after being struck by lightning during heavy rain in the area.

On Threads, another user asked for confirmation after hearing that three people had died in the incident.

“Is it true someone died after being struck by lightning near BBST?” the user asked. The user also mentioned the strong lightning seen earlier that afternoon.

Kosmo! reported that the post drew a range of reactions. Many users said they were shocked, and several tried to find out whether the reports were true.

One user said they had heard similar accounts. “I heard about it earlier too, three people if I’m not mistaken,” the user wrote.

Another replied briefly: “True, three (victims).”

Public reminded not to shelter under trees

One user reminded the public not to shelter under trees during heavy rain and thunderstorms.

“Teachers always said: if it rains or there’s lightning, don’t shelter under trees,” the user wrote.

When Kosmo! published its first report, the authorities had not yet confirmed the number of victims, whether they had died or what caused the incident.

Police later confirmed the three deaths and the victims’ ages, which Bernama reported as 16, 18 and 26.

The results of the post-mortem examinations had not been made public at the time of reporting.