19-year-old girl out for stroll at Sukhna lake killed by lightning strike

The deceased, Tamanna, a resident of Barwala village in Dera Bassi, had come to the lake with her family to enjoy the Independence Day holiday.

In possibly a first-of-its-kind mishap, a 19-year-old girl was killed after being struck by lightning at Sukhna lake on Thursday.

Tamanna’s family was strolling on the walking track at the lake during a thunderstorm, when she was hit by lightning. (Representative photo/ AFP)

Police said the deceased, Tamanna, a resident of Barwala village in Dera Bassi, had come to the lake with her family to enjoy the Independence Day holiday. She worked for a beer factory in Dera Bassi. Her father, Allahuddin, is a street vendor.

Around 3:55pm, while the family was strolling on the walking track during a thunderstorm, Tamanna was hit by lightning.

The impact of the lightning strike left Tamanna instantly lifeless, said a police personnel, who witnessed the incident, adding that the lightning also struck a palm tree.

The girl was rushed to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16, where she was declared dead.

The body was handed over to the family after an autopsy on Friday morning. A board of doctors has been constituted to determine the exact cause of death.

Police said there hadn’t been any lightning-related deaths in the city in recent memory, and this was a first at the lake.

Police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.