English Bazar (WB): Seven people, including three children, were killed in lightning strikes in West Bengal's Malda district on Wednesday evening, officials said. While one person was killed in Old Malda, six people died in the Kaliachak area, they said.
The deceased were identified as Krishno Chowdhury (65), Ummey Kulsum (six), Debosree Mandal (27), Somit Mandal (10), Najrul SK (32), Robizon Bibi (54), and Esa Sarkar (eight), they added. District Magistrate Nitin Singhania said heavy thunderstorms lashed Malda in the evening, during which seven people died. Nine cattle were also killed in the lightning strikes, he said. Necessary assistance was being provided to the families, Singhania said.
Earlier, three minors died in lightning strikes at two places in Jharkhand's Hazaribag on Tuesday, an official said. In Salwar area, two persons died and 12 others were injured in a lightning strike while returning from a Rath Yatra procession, he said. Eight of them suffered grievous injuries, he said.
The incident took place around 4.45 pm along a stretch of National Highway-100 (Hazaribag-Bagodar Road). Two devotees were killed and 12 injured while they were returning from a Rath Yatra, Sub-Divisional Officer, Hazaribag Sadar, Vidyabhushan Kumar said. Kumar said the injured have been taken to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag, and are being treated at its trauma centre.
The SDO said the deceased were identified as Sudhanshu Pandey (17) and Arun Kumar Gupta (16). In another incident of a lightning strike, a 10-year-old boy lost his life in Keredari in the district, officials said. Meanwhile, the weather department issued an alert for medium to severe thunderstorms in the state for the next three days from Tuesday. (PTI)
