Bhubaneswar: As many as six more people died due to lightning strikes in five districts of Odisha -Kendrapara, Balasore, Jajpur, Subarnapur, and Bhadrak on Sunday.
As per reports, two persons – Bijay Mallick of Basudebpur and Babaji Pradhan of Gara villages – died under Pattamundi block in Kendrapara district after lightning struck them today.
One Harish Mallick of Wada village in Balasore district also died due to lighting strike while four others namely Subhadra Mallick, Mataji Mallick, Bhagyalaxmi Mallick and Jyotipriya Mallick were injured due to the nature’s fury that occurred while they were working in a paddy field.
A farmer identified as Ramakanta Sahu of Bhabanipur village in Jajpur district also died after lighting struck him while he was planting paddy saplings today.
Lightning strike also claimed the life of a 52-year-old man named Himanshu Mahananda at Thileimal village in the Binika area in the Subarnapur district.
Similarly, the sixth death due to lightning strike was also reported from Bhandaripokhri Nerda village in Bhadrak district.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his deep condolences over the deaths of six people in lightning strikes and announced ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. The CM also announced free medical treatment for the injured persons.
Notably, Odisha witnessed ten lightning deaths on Saturday.