An aircraft technician, injured by a lightning strike at Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), died on the way to the hospital.

The tragedy occurred while the man was checking an aircraft preparing to depart for Vinh International Airport (VII) on the early morning of September 22, 2020.

At 6:05 p.m. local time the lightning struck the right wing of an airplane, presumably Airbus A321neo set to depart several hours later. 

Vietnamese media reports that the 40-year-old technician belonged to Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company. 

According to an airport spokesman, the facility has the lightning protection system installed. Nevertheless, lightning-related incidents are common in Hanoi. In 2016, lightning struck a runway of Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), leaving a 60 centimeters-wide (approximately microwave-sized) hole in the runway and causing at least 100 flights to be rescheduled.