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.

Updated on: Mar 13, 2021, 11:34:30 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Hindustan Times, Gurugram

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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.

Lightning seen in the night sky during rain. (ANI)

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.”

Chauhan said the CCTV footage was recovered from a resident’s villa which is part of the township. “The family members of the injured have been informed and a team is stationed in the hospital where they are undergoing treatment,” he said.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More