Kendrapara: Five people died and two persons, including a woman, were injured Wednesday in Kendrapara district after lightning struck them while they were working in farms. The injured are undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital.
All the five dead were engaged in sowing operations when lightning struck them Wednesday noon.
The dead are Papuni Das, 25, and Rangani Behera, 52, of Karanja village in Mahakalapada block, Bijay Kumar Nayak, 55, of Narayanpur (Dihasahi), Dillip Kumar Mallick, 43, of Marilo village and Ajay Kumar Nayak, 55, of Gotrabilla.
The injured are Dolagobinda Mahali, 25, and Tapoi Swain, 54, of Ostar village. They were rushed to the DHH. Police sent the bodies for autopsy to the DHH.
The district administration has provided Rs 5,000 to the next of kin of the dead from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Lightning has been claiming many lives every year here triggering a debate on why Kendrapara is more vulnerable to lightning strikes.
If a black cloud appears in the sky fear can be seen among people here, particularly farmers. Nowadays, the families of farmers turn pale when it rains due to the possibility of lightning.
Official sources said most lightning deaths have been reported from open areas. Most of the victims are farmers and labourers and lightning struck them while they were working in the field or returning in the rains. The fear is so much now that people do not go outside even if it drizzles.
