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6 killed after lightning strikes at 2 places in Bengal’s Murshidabad district
The lightning strike incidents in Bengal came just two days after similar incidents were reported in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
At least six people were killed in two incidents of lightning strikes in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Saturday.
While three people including a woman were killed and two others were injured at Sagardighi, another three were killed at Bharatpur.
Police said that five labourers working in a brinjal farm at Sagardighi, took shelter in a pump house when a thunderstorm hit the area. However, the house was struck by lightning.
“While three people died, two were injured. The dead were identified as Samar Mondol, 30, Bharati Mondol, 40 and Shibram Mahato, 45. Two others Rajbula Mondol and Tetri Mahato were injured and had to be rushed to a hospital,” police said.
At Bharatpur, three villagers were returning from the field when they were struck by lightning. After the storm subsided, the villagers started a search and found their bodies. They were rushed to the hospital where they were declared dead.
“The dead have been identified as Imtiyaz Alam, 19, Motichand Ali, 37 and Shefali Sheikh, 55,” police said.
Meanwhile,some districts in south Bengal including Kolkata were hit by thunderstorms and rain on Saturday afternoon and evening. Kolkata was hit by a storm with a speed of 81km per hour.
The regional meteorological department said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in some districts of north Bengal on Sunday.
The lightning strike incidents in Bengal came just two days after similar incidents were reported in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
At least 125 people were killed due to lightning strikes in several parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. According to officials, the majority of those killed were farmers and labourers who were hit while working in agriculture fields.
EOM
