Nine killed in lightning strikes in WB

Three deaths were reported from Jangipur sub-division in Murshidabad district with one each in Farakka, Suti and Raghunathganj, official sources said.Six deaths due to lightning strike were reported from Malda district, where accompanying rains have submerged large areas.
District additional superintendent of police Kalyan Mukhopadhayay said three of the victims were from Baishnabnagar and one each from Kaliachak, Ratua and Old Malda. All of them were struck by the lightening bolt while working in the fields.

He said five students of a primary school at Gajol were injured when lightning struck them and two other persons were injured while they were travelling in a bullock cart and were struck by lightening.

In Murshidabad the accompanying storm damaged a large number of houses, including 400 in Suti area, besides uprooting a large number of trees and electricity poles, district authorities said.Hailstorm was experienced in Domkal area, where mango crop and jute suffered damages, they said