Bengal: Thirteen die due to lightning in three districts

Kolkata, July 24 (IANS) At least 13 people were killed in lightning strikes in three districts of West Bengal on Thursday.

Of the 13 persons killed in the lightning-related mishaps, seven were from Bankura district, five from East Burdwan district, and one from West Midnapore district.

In Bankura, one person named Ziaul Haque Mollah, resident of Khiri village under Kotulpur police station, was working in the field when the lightning struck. Others present in the field rushed him to a local hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

A youth named Jiban Ghosh was seriously injured at Patrasayer in the same district. He was first taken to the Patrasayer Block Primary Health Centre. From there, he was taken to Bishnupur Super Speciality Hospital and then to Bankura Sammilani Medical College, where doctors declared him dead.

Meanwhile, another person died due to a lightning strike at Onda in the same district. The deceased was identified as Narayan Sawar. At Indas, one person was killed and another was injured in a lightning strike. Police said the deceased was identified as Sheikh Ismail. At the Joypur area of the same district, one person named Uttam Bhuniya died similarly.

In the East Burdwan district, sixty-year-old Sanatan Patra died in the Madhabdihi area due to a lightning strike. The police said, "On Thursday morning, the person was working in a field when lightning struck. On receiving the information, we rescued him and took him to Alampur Primary Health Centre, where the doctors declared him brought dead."

Another person died in the Aushgram area of the same district. The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Hebraram (28), a resident of Bhedia village of Aushgram police station.

At Chandrakona in West Midnapore district, one person named Lakhsmikanta Pan (42) died in a lightning strike.

The Met Office has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning over the districts of south Bengal till July 27.

--IANS

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