Hyderabad: While death due to lightning strikes may seem isolated incidents, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data states that lightning kills more people than any other natural calamity, including floods.
As per the national Crime Records data compiled for 45 years on deaths due to natural calamities in India, the largest number of deaths, nearly 80,000, have been due to lightning.
Experts say that one should take cover only in concrete structures to escape lightning strikes.
An IMD expert said, “One should not venture out for at least 30-45 minutes if they hear sounds of lightning. If the sounds are audible, it means the cloud is somewhere nearby. One should also not stand below a tree or a tower during thunderstorms.”
The best way to avoid any casualty is to take shelter in a concrete building, he said.
Some people have the misconception that thunderbolts form only in rural areas as more deaths are reported from there. However, it is not true. Cumulonimbus clouds can form anywhere and thunderbolts can strike even in cities, he said.
