Tragic incidents unfolded across Ganjam district on Friday afternoon as lightning strikes claimed the life of a 62-year-old man and left two others critically injured in separate occurrences under Kabisuryanagar and Hinjili police limits.
The deceased has been identified as Nityananda Gouda (62) of Mahachhai village under Kabisuryanagar police station. The injured have been identified as Kalu Charan Patra (30) and Satya Narayan Sahu (27), both residents of Solasala village under Sheragada police limits.
According to sources, after a day of intense heat, rain accompanied by strong winds and severe lightning struck the region in the afternoon. Nityananda was gathering straw in Mahachhai village when lightning struck him, causing him to collapse. Locals rushed him to Hinjilicut Sub-Divisional Hospital via ambulance, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
In a separate incident on the same afternoon, Kalu and Satya were standing near a shop at Shyamalai Chhak under Hinjili police limits when lightning struck nearby, causing them critical burn injuries. Residents immediately rescued both youths and shifted them to the Hinjilicut Sub-Divisional Hospital.
