Two mini-cab controllers cheated death as a lightning strike sent millions of volts through their office on Sunday morning.
Sparks flew and smoke billowed through the building in Abbotsbury Road, Morden, as the strike fused plug sockets to the walls, ignited a bin and even exploded a kettle.
“I fell to my knees out of sheer shock. The whole room went black and at first I thought the building had collapsed.
Cab controller Denis Roche
Thousands of pounds of damage was caused but miraculously both men were just far enough away from their desks as the jolt surged through their radio equipment just after 6.30am.
Cab controller Denis Roche, 58, who was deafened for 15 minutes after the strike, said: “I fell to my knees out of sheer shock.
“The whole room went black and at first I thought the building had collapsed. There was smoke everywhere and a bin was even on fire.
“I think I was laughing about it by the evening but I suppose I’m just counting my blessings. From what other people have said, it sounds like I’m lucky to be alive.”
He added: “You hear about the power of lightning but when you experience it, well it’s like nothing else in this world. For a good while I was totally shaken by it, but as far as I’m aware, there have been no serious side affects.”
The second controller, Robin Cleater, also escaped serious injury although the circuit boards at the bottom of his desk went up in smoke and charred the surrounding wall.
Chunks of the building’s radio aerial were found scattered across Abbotsbury Road and phone lines along parts of the road were left dead for most of the morning.
An electrician who helped repair the damage told the owner of First Call Taxi’s, John Churchley, that had either controller been touching their desks or radio equipment they were likely to have been electrocuted.
Mr Churchley was minutes away from the cab office on his way to work as the lightning hit.
He said: “I’m just glad I wasn’t there any earlier. I got to the office to find Denis walking around in a bit of a daze, having a minor asthma attack.
“He just had no idea what had happened and he still couldn’t hear what I was saying.
“I’ve told him that if he needs time off work he should take it but he’s a tough old boy and just wants to get on with it. I don’t think he’s even been to the doctor yet.”
According to the Met Office, 100,000 people are injured and 10,000 killed by lighting across the world every year - more than are killed by floods hurricanes or tornadoes.
A bolt is up to four times hotter than the surface of the sun and can carry anywhere between 100m and 1bn volts.