6 killed in lightning strikes in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18 (PTI) At least six people were killed and four others injured on Sunday due to lightning strikes at various places in Odisha, police said.

Two persons died in Kendrapara district as lightning struck them when they were working in their agricultural fields, a senior officer said.

During the day, an 18-year-old man was killed and four others were injured in a lightning strike in Balasore district.

Police said the deceased and injured persons, all women, belonged to one family.

The incident occurred when they were working in a paddy field.

Locals took them to Soro health centre where a doctor declared one of them dead, the police said.

Deaths due to lightning strikes were also reported from Jajpur, Sonepur and Bhadrak districts, police said.

The deceased persons in the three districts are yet to be identified, a police officer said.

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the number of deaths due to lightning strikes has been increasing in the state. The state reported a higher number of such fatalities each year as compared to the national average.

On average, lightning strikes claim around 300 lives each year in Odisha, he said.

As a preventive measure, the Odisha government has taken an initiative to plant 20 lakh palm trees through the forest department across Odisha within a year, Pujari said.

Palm trees allow lightning to pass through them and into the ground without causing significant damage.

Notably, nine people lost their lives on Saturday due to lightning strikes in six districts of the state.

Expressing grief over such deaths, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had directed the authorities concerned to provide Rs 4 lakh compensation to the family members of each deceased.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department’s Bhubaneswar regional centre said heavy rainfall would continue at some places in Odisha in the next two days.

The weather office issued a yellow warning (be updated) for Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, and Sambalpur districts for Monday and Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh for Tuesday.

From June 1 to August 18, the state received an average rainfall of 686.5 mm as against its normal precipitation of 772.8 mm.

During the period, Malkangiri, Boudh and Nuapada districts witnessed excessive rainfall, while 16 experienced normal precipitation and the remaining 11 were categorised as deficient. PTI CORR BBM BDC