Photographer Captures Multiple Lightning Strikes On Merdeka 118

By Lara Kramer  •  19 Jun 2026 in News

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If you were scrolling on Instagram over the week, chances are you saw the now-viral images of lightning seemingly attacking Merdeka 118 from every direction.

The photographs, captured by Instagram user @shaiful.baker, show the world’s second-tallest building illuminated by multiple lightning strikes against a dark, turbulent sky, creating a scene that looks more like a disaster movie poster than a typical Malaysian thunderstorm.

According to the photographer’s Instagram post, Merdeka 118 reportedly received around 10 lightning strikes within a span of 10 minutes, with six of them successfully captured on camera.

Unsurprisingly, the dramatic images quickly circulated across social media, prompting concerned comments asking a very reasonable question: “Merdeka 118, are you okay?”

 

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The short answer is yes.

In fact, being struck by lightning is exactly what skyscrapers like Merdeka 118 are designed for.

Standing at 678.9 metres tall, Merdeka 118 towers above Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, making it a natural target during electrical storms. Rather than avoiding lightning strikes, modern supertall buildings are engineered to safely receive them.

Their lightning protection systems channel enormous electrical currents through designated conductive pathways and into the ground, preventing damage to the structure and its occupants.

This is particularly important in Malaysia, a country known for some of the highest lightning activity rates in the world.

With tropical humidity, intense heat, and frequent thunderstorms, lightning protection is not merely an architectural afterthought. It’s a necessity.

While the images may appear alarming, experts generally consider lightning strikes on tall buildings safer than strikes occurring in lower, densely populated areas.

When lightning connects with a properly protected skyscraper, the electrical energy follows a controlled route into the earth rather than potentially impacting trees, vehicles, homes, or people on the ground.

Still, the photographs remain breathtaking for architecture enthusiasts, weather watchers, and photographers alike. Nature sure knows how to steal the show.

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