Bhubaneswar: Two Boys Playing Cricket, Man Returning With Ration Killed In Odisha Lightning Strikes
The injured boys were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Sonepur, but doctors declared both dead: Reports
BHUBANESWAR: Three people, including two minor boys, were killed and another man was seriously injured in separate lightning strikes across Odisha on Friday.
In Gajapati district, an elderly man was killed while his younger brother suffered severe injuries after lightning struck a tree under which they had taken shelter during a sudden downpour.
The deceased was identified as Jirad Raita of Katama village under Anuguru panchayat, while the injured, Mojesh Raita, is undergoing treatment and is reported to be out of danger.
The incident occurred near Tataranga village under the jurisdiction of R. Udayagiri police station. The brothers were returning home after collecting ration rice from a public distribution centre when heavy rain and gusty winds forced them to seek shelter beneath a tamarind tree. Moments later, lightning struck the tree, critically injuring both men.
Villagers rushed to the spot and, following a traditional belief, initially buried Jirad in cow dung in an attempt to revive him before shifting the brothers to the R. Udayagiri Community Health Centre. Doctors, however, declared Jirad dead on arrival.
In another tragedy, two boys were killed after lightning struck while they were playing cricket in a village playground in Boudh district.
The victims were identified as Biswajit Mirdha of Jhankarapada village and Kiran Kumbhar of nearby Chaunriapadar village. According to local residents, the boys and their friends were playing cricket when rain began. They ran for cover beneath a tamarind tree, where lightning struck moments later.
The injured boys were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Sonepur, but doctors declared both dead.
The back-to-back tragedies have cast a pall of gloom over the affected villages and serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of taking shelter under isolated trees during thunderstorms.
Weather experts and disaster management authorities have repeatedly advised people to move into robust buildings or enclosed vehicles during lightning and avoid open fields, hilltops and tall trees, which significantly increase the risk of fatal strikes.