12 killed in lightning in Jharkhand

At least 12 people have died due to lightning strikes in different parts of Jharkhand in the past two days, an official said on Saturday.

Lightning strikes killed a woman and her daughter in the Barwadda area of ​​Dhanbad district, while two people were killed on Friday in Bahragora in Jamdhespur and Chirodih in Gumla district, the official said.

Another death was reported in Lohardagga.

On Thursday seven people were killed. One death was reported each in Chatra, Hazaribag, Ranchi, Bokaro and Khunti districts and two in Hussainabad in Palamu.

An official with the state disaster management department said that the respective districts have been asked to verify the casualties for the payment of compensation to the relatives of the deceased. The Jharkhand government gives Rs four lakh to the family of a person who is killed in lightning.

The state has been battered by gusty winds and rain in the past two days, uprooting trees and power lines in many parts of the state.

Jamshedpur recorded the highest rainfall of 79mm on Friday. Bokaro recorded 52.4mm and Ranchi 5.9mm.

Ranchi Meteorological Center manager Abhishek Anand said the rain and lightning in Jharkhand were caused by two lines of depression: one running through northern Bihar to northern Odisha through Jharkhand, while that another stretches through Haryana to Sikkim.

The weather is likely to improve from Saturday as the rain is expected to lessen. “However, the western and central parts of the state could see light to moderate rain along with lightning on Saturday,” he said.

The weather, which cooled down due to rain, will warm up again and the temperature will start to rise from May 28, Anand added.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency – PTI)