[hunson_abadeer]

It is not common at all. You have maybe several people dying every year, which is in the "hit by lightning" territory. It's very well-publicized whenever it happens, which probably helps keep the numbers low. But this is a very unusual way to die.

[petre]

Ah, just wait until another Russian scientist or business person gets hit by lightning.

[gorlilla]

Suicide by lightning twice to the back of the head is on the rise in that part of the world.

[scotty79]

It's like few cases per season per million people eating wild shrooms.

[Kretinsky]

Just like for road accidents, death is a wrong measure, as it really depends on your health, i.e a 20 years forager will survive whereas an 80 years old one would die. Many mushrooms are liver-toxic, so if you already have hepatitis (very common in Russia), you're probably more prone to die from a poisonous one.

Intoxication leading to hospitalization is a better measure.

[chongli]

How many millions of people go mushroom hunting?