Bargarh/Balangir: At least five persons were killed and three others sustained critical injuries in separate lightning strike incidents in Odisha’s Bargarh and Balangir districts on Wednesday.
Expressing deep condolences to the bereaved families, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
As per preliminary information, two members of a family were killed and another sustained injuries in lightning strike in Balangir, while three deaths and injuries to two were reported from Bargarh.
In Balangir, a woman and her son were killed and anther family member was critically injured after lightning struck in at Chaulabanji village under Khaprakhol police limits of the district in the afternoon.
In a similar incident in Bargarh district, at least three persons were killed and two others sustained grievous injuries after lightning struck them in Padampur area. The deceased persons have been identified as Sukhadev Banachol, Niroj Kumbhar and Dhanuj Nayak.
The incident took place at Diwandihi village in Padampur area when five people including the deceased persons were sitting under a tree and lightning struck them.
Upon getting the information, police arrived at the spot and seized the bodies of deceased. Subsequently, they were sent for post-mortem.