Lightning strikes 21 dead

August 1, 2017 2:30 AM

Two brothers in Kharswan district, Jharkhand, were killed when the lightning penetrated the thatched roof of their house.

Thunderstorm of death

Eastern India has reportedly seen 21 persons struck dead by lightning.

AFP reports that the lightning struck several parts of the country, reportedly killing 18 in Odisha state, and another three in Jharkhand state.

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According to the reports, 10 people most of whom were farmers working in their farms, were also injured by the widespread bolts.

State disaster management officials said that 213 people in the western state of Gujarat, were killed in weeks of flooding, which is almost twice the death toll after about 100 bodies were found when the water started receding.

West Bengal’s top disaster management official, Suresh Kumar, said 31 deaths were reported in a week of flooding in the state.

“Heavy rains have caused massive damage in several districts,” Kumar told AFP.

AFP also reports that landslides and flash floods in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam since April have left scores dead, while Jharkhand and Bihar have also suffered. Since May, almost 140 lightning deaths have been reported in Bihar.

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According to the reports, death by lightning is not as rare as one would expect.

Lightning kills thousands of Indians every year, especially during the June-October monsoon — most of them farmers working the fields.