Rayagada: Lightning strike claimed one more life in Odisha with the death of an elderly woman in Rayagada district on Saturday.
According to sources, the woman, identified as Yamuna Mahanandia of Kharajoda village under Kalyansingpur block in the district, was returning from the farmland when heavy rain accompanied by lightning struck the area.
While Yamuna was standing under a tree to protect herself from rain, the lightning struck there. She was critically injured in the lightning strike.
The villagers rushed her to Community Health Centre (CHC) at Kalyansinghpur. But the doctors in the CHC declared her brought dead.
It may be noted that as many 15 deaths due to lightning in two days were reported from different parts of the state last month.
In a written reply in the Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said 1,625 deaths were reported in the state due to lightning strikes in the last five years. The lightning-related casualty in the state was the highest in the country during the period, he added.
Also Read: Odisha Lightning Deaths: Mismatch In Revenue Min & Govt Data Raises Eyebrows
