- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sat, 17 May 2025 08:05 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
At least nine people died in lightning strikes while several others were injured amid thunderstorms across Odisha as the state witnessed a change in weather on Friday, the officials said.
The deceased include six women, they added. According to the information, three persons died in the Koraput district, two each died in Jajpur and Ganjam districts and one each in Dhenkanal and Gajapati districts, the officials said.
In Koraput, three women lost their lives while an elderly man of was severely injured in a lightning strike at Paridiguda village under the Laxmipur police station area.
The victims were members of the same family and were working in the fields. With heavy rains and strong winds sweeping, they took shelter in a makeshift hut. A lightning strike struck the hut, killing three women on the spot, a police officer said.
The deceased have been identified as Brudhi Mandinga (60), her granddaughter Kasa Mandinga (18), and Ambika Kashi (35).
Another 65-year-old man, identified as Hingu Mandinga, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Lakshmipur Community Health Centre, where he is currently undergoing treatment, the officer added.
The state government officials said that financial assistance will be provided to the bereaved families of victims.
In Jajpur district, two boys lost their lives to lightning strikes as strong rain lashed the Dharmasala area. The deceased have been identified as Tare Hembrum (15) and Tukulu Chattar (12) from Burusahi village under the Jenapur police station area, the officials said.
As per the villagers, both of the deceased were standing on the verandah of a kuccha house as thunderstorms lashed the area in the evening. They died on the spot after lightning struck them during rainfall.
In Ganjam district, Om Prakash Pradhan, a class 7 student, was killed when he was struck by lightning in Barida village in Kabisuryanagar tehsil.
In another incident the Belaguntha area, a 23-year-old woman died in a lightning strike while collecting mangoes from an orchard.
In Dhenkanal, a woman identified as Surushi Bishwal (40) died after being struck by lightning at Kusumundia village under Dashipur panchayat.
In the Gajapati district, a woman died after being struck by lightning while she was unloading bricks from a tractor-trailer in the Mohana area of Gajapati.
The tragic incidents came in the wake of a red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red warning' for thunderstorms, lightning accompanied by hail and gusty wind speed reaching 60 to 70 kmph in several districts, including Koraput, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Balasore, Khurda, and Ganjam in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the state weather department has issued a light to moderate rainfall at isolated places across the state. The weather department has also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nawrangpur, Gajapati, and Ganjam.
Apart from that, the IMD has also issued an orange alert for Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, and Keonjhar.
(With PTI Inputs)
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