Bhubaneswar: A mind-boggling 61,000 lightning strikes in about two hours claimed 12 lives and left 14 injured in different parts of Odisha on Saturday, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) informed on Sunday.
Among the deceased, four were from Khurda district, two from Balangir district, and one each from Angul, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur, Gajapati, Puri and Dhenkanal districts. Three persons from Khurda, 8 from Balangir and one each from Cuttack, Angul and Ganjam also sustained injuries in the lightning strikes. Eight cattle casualties were also reported from different parts of the state.
“Ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakhs will be paid to each of the bereaved families. In case of cattle death, assistance would be extended as admissible,” it added.
The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), informed that the cloud-to-cloud lightning till 5.30 pm stood at 36,597 whereas the cloud-to-ground strikes was recorded at a scary 25,753.
The coastal region of Odisha, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, witnessed heavy rain with lightning strikes. Lightning bolts continued uninterrupted during the afternoon thundershower activities in Bhubaneswar and its neighbourhood. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 126 mm and 95.8 mm of rainfall respectively during a 90-minute spell in the afternoon.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast likely formation of a low pressure area over North Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, which is active, over the same region. The state may also witness thunderstorm activity with heavy falls during next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in some districts till September 7.
The weather agency has predicted heavy rainfall at one or two places in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal during the next 24 hours. Yellow warning of thunderstorm with lightning has also been issued for one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Sonepur and Boudh for Sunday.
It has advised people to take shelter in safe places during thunderstorm activity.
