BHUBANESWAR: At least 45 persons were killed by lightning in the state and 50 others were injured on Saturday and Sunday, official sources said. While 40 died on Saturday, five lost their lives on Sunday. The Indian Meteorological department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rain in the state till August 6 resulting in flood like situations in Mahanadi, Bansadhara and Rushikulya rivers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy. “The unfortunate loss of lives due to lightning in Odisha is saddening. Deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” the Prime Minister’s office tweeted on Sunday. “I hope those injured due to lightning in Odisha recover soon: PM,” PMO wrote.
Officials associated with disaster management in the state have claimed it is the highest human casualties in lightning within such a short span of time. “Forty cattle died of lightning in Keonjhar district last year. But such high human casualties is unprecedented in recent history in the state,” said Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra, deputy relief commissioner.
According to the government sources, eight persons died in Balasore district, seven each in Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak, six in Khurda, four each in Cuttack and Jajpur, three in Dhenkanal, two in Nabrangpur and one each in Keonjhar and Kendrapada.
The IMD attributed the unusually high lightning deaths to three days of dry spell heating the air mass amid extreme humidity. It resulted in formation of “cumulonimbus clouds,” which generally causes lightning, said IMD Bhubaneswar director Sarat Chandra Sahu.
(Sourced from agencies, Feature image courtesy:wired.com)
