Bhadrak/Balasore: Three persons lost their lives due to lightning strikes in Bhadrak and Balasore districts of Odisha on Monday while working in agricultural fields.
According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Madan Maharana (60), Hrudananda Maharana (57), and Chandrakanta Panda.
In a tragic incident in Chandisahi village under Harisinghpur Panchayat, Tihidi Tehsil, Bhadrak district, two brothers, Madan Maharana and Hrudananda Maharana, sons of Jagabandhu Maharana, were struck by lightning while working in their fields. Both sustained severe injuries and were rushed to Tihidi Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
In a separate incident in the same panchayat, Giradhari Mahalik (64) from Barbatia village was critically injured in a lightning strike while working in a field. He was admitted to Tihidi Hospital, but due to his critical condition, he was transferred to Bhadrak Hospital for further treatment. Police have registered unnatural death cases and sent the bodies for post-mortem examinations. Upon receiving the news, local leaders, including Sarpanch Ajay Mahanti, MP’s representative Sitakanta Nayak, BJP leader Sangram Mahanti, educationist Sushant Panda, and former Sarpanch Prafulla Padhi, visited the hospital to offer support and expressed deep condolences.
In Balasore district, a young man named Chandrakanta Panda, son of Ramakanta Panda, was killed by a lightning strike in Kurunta village, Kurunta Panchayat, under Khaira Block. Chandrakanta was overseeing his tractor while it was ploughing a field when the incident occurred. He was standing under a tree, using his mobile phone, when lightning struck him.
The tractor driver alerted others, and he was rushed to Simulia Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead. His thumb was reportedly burnt due to holding the mobile phone during the strike.
