Six killed, nine injured in separate lightning strikes in Odisha

Odisha in the past 20 years has witnessed over 2.1 million lightning strikes that has claimed 5,706 lives. Since 2015, the Odisha government has been paying Rs.4 lakh in compensation to the next of kin of people killed in lightning strikes

Updated on: Aug 16, 2023, 20:46:04 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Six people, including two women, were killed, and at least nine others injured in separate incidents of lightning strikes in Odisha on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

According to the officials in Bhadrak district, two persons, including a woman, died and one was injured while they were working in a field.

In Utukuda panchayat of the district, a woman and her daughter were struck by lightning while working in a paddy field, officials said. While the woman was killed, her daughter has been admitted to the hospital in critical condition, they added.

In the Balasore district, a group of agricultural workers were working in the paddy field when the rain started. Officials said that the workers rushed to take shelter under a tree, which was hit by lightning minutes later, killing three on the spot. Six others were injured and admitted to the hospital, where there condition is said to be critical, added officials.

Another incident took place in the state’s Mayurbhanj district, where a woman died after being hit by a lightning strike.

Odisha in the past 20 years has witnessed over 2.1 million lightning strikes that has claimed 5,706 lives. Since 2015, the Odisha government has been paying Rs.4 lakh in compensation to the next of kin of people killed in lightning strikes after it declared lightning as a ‘State Specific Disaster’.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More