Cell Phones and Lightning Strikes

The news out of China is that 15 tourists visiting the Great Wall were injured by "mobile-phone-induced lightning" the other day. Security personnel in the country are now directing people to turn off their cell phones when it rains. Now, it's an established fact that standard phone lines are vulnerable to lightning strikes and there are advisories against making phone calls during thunderstorms, but some folks are skeptical about the mobile phone claims, speculating that such incidents are more likely related to the victims' height than the presence of a cell phone among them. Unfortunately, it's politically incorrect to advise people to stop being tall during a thunderstorm.
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