Bhubaneswar: As many as 10 persons including a couple were killed and 17 others were injured in separate incidents of lightning strikes across Odisha on Saturday.
According to reports, the lightning strikes took place in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal. Most of the fatalities occurred while people were engaged in agricultural field work.
In Mayurbhanj district a couple was killed in a lightning strike while working in the field in Singarapura village under Baisinga police limits. The deceased have been identified as Laxman Murmu and his wife Sakar Murmu.
Similarly, one person was killed and another was injured in a lightning strike at Sahupada under Agarpada police limits in Bhadrak district. While the deceased has been identified as Amar Sethi (29), the injured person has been identified as Chakradhar Das (58). Both were working in the farmland when lightning struck them.
While one Hemant Barik of Gobindpur village in Bijaynagar panchayat under Chandbali block in Bhadrak district died in a lightning strike, Himanshu Barik of Kandagaradi panchayat was critically injured in a lightning strike has been hospitalised.
One youth died in a lightning strike at Guali village under Rajkanika police limits in Kendrapara district, while another person was killed in a lightning strike at Toladi village under Tarasingh police limits of Ganjam district.
In Keonjhar district one minor boy was killed in a lightning strike at Dhurudiamba village under Harichandanpur police limits.
In Cuttack district lightning claimed the life of one person at Tikra village in Jaripada panchayat.
While a youth identified as Hari Behera died at Odisho village under Bhuban police limits in Dhenkanal district, two women and a child were injured in a lightning strike at Gudikansa of Telkoi in Keonjhar district.
In Jajpur district a woman was killed in a lightning strike at Sunachara village in Asanjhar panchayat under Korei police limits while she was working in the field. The deceased woman has been identified as Sukanti Jena.
As many as 12 persons were injured in a lightning strike at Munubandh near Munupali village under Barpali block in Bargarh district while they were performing puja for an agriculture-related festival. Four of them who were seriously injured have been admitted to the Government Hospital at Barpali.
