12 dead in lightning strike in West Bengal

Twelve people died and several were injured in West Bengal in a lightning strike on Monday during a thunderstorm. The deaths took place in the districts of Murshidabad, Hooghly and West Medinipur.

According to sources in the state administration, six persons died in a lightning strike in the Raghunathganj Police Station area of Murshidabad when they were doing agricultural work in the field. Seven were injured in the incident. They were admitted to the Jangipur Hospital in the district.

They also said that one more person died in the Suti area of Murshidabad. “ The bodies have been sent for post-mortem,” a district official said.

Two persons including a woman died in lightning strikes in two separate incidents in the Chandrakona area of West Medinipur district.

One person died in the Polba village of Hooghly district due to a lightning strike.

“ Most of them who lost their lives were on the field for agricultural work,” an official said.

Earlier in the day, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata issued a forecast predicting rain and thunderstorms in Kolkata and some parts of North 24 Paraganas. The forecast also stated that there will be gusty wind up to 40kmph in Kolkata.

However, despite heavy rain, there have been no deaths in North Bengal so far.