Lightning strike kills 1, injures 3 in Gurugram residential township

CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral, showed the four men falling to the ground moments after the lightning strike.

One of the four men, who were injured when lightning struck a tree under which they were taking shelter from the rain in Gurugram’s sector 82, died late Friday. CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral, showed the four men falling to the ground moments after the lightning strike.

The incident happened in the residential township Vatika India Next and the four men were attached with its horticulture department. All four of them were rushed to the hospital where the condition of Ram Prasad (38) was reported to be critical. He later succumbed to his injuries. The rest, Shiv Dutt (43), Lali (32), and Anil Kumar (32), were stable and recovering.

Shakti Singh Chauhan, deputy general manager operations of Vatika India Next, said, “The horticulture team was working when it started raining suddenly at around 4.20 pm. Four of them rushed to take cover under a tree. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck them, and they fell unconscious. We received a call from a guard following which a quick response team (QRT) was sent to the park and they were taken to a private hospital in Manesar.”

The residents informed the police control room following which a team from Kherki Daula police station visited the township and recorded statements of the residents and management.

Krishan Kant, station house officer of Kherki Daula police station, said that they have made a daily diary entry in the records and no case has been registered in the incident. “Ram Prasad is admitted in intensive care unit and is critical,” he said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people find shelter indoors in case of lightning, call emergency services (it is safe to use mobile phones), move a victim to a safer location (be aware of continued lightning risk) and if the victim not breathing, administer cardiac compressions (CPR) till help arrives.