Lightning strike kills three of family in J&K’s Budgam

ANOTHER WOMAN DIES AFTER GETTING HIT BY AN UPROOTED TIN SHEET IN ANANTNAG

SRINAGAR: Four persons, including three non-local labourers, were killed and properties got damaged after high-velocity winds, lightning, cloudburst and hailstorms hit parts of Kashmir on Monday.

Officials said three labourers, including a woman, were believed to be from a single family, who were struck by lightning and cloudburst in Budgam district.

A police official said the woman and her two sons, residents of Barali in Uttar Pradesh, were working in a brick kiln at Chandapora when the weather deteriorated.

Local reports identified the trio as Boori Begum, 45, Mohammad Rayees, 21, and Kais Mansoori, 17.

Meanwhile, a local woman was killed when she was hit by a tin sheet owing to the highvelocity winds at Botengo in Anantnag district.

The woman was identified as Meenu Akhtar, aged 26.

The weather office had predicted that a brief spell of showers and hailstorm with thunder and lightning would affect northwestern, northern and central parts of Kashmir and Sonamarg-Zojila on Monday evening.

There were reports of damage to properties as high-velocity winds blew away tin roofs and uprooted trees while damaging house tops and cars plying on roads in central, south and north Kashmir.

Hailstorms also affected farmers in north Kashmir.

Valley’s independent weather spotter, Kashmir Weather, said in a series of tweets that large-scale and massive hailstorms hit parts of Srinagar, Pulwama, Anantnag (Pahalgam belt), Budgam and Bandipora districts.

Damage to over three dozen structures

“There was damage to over three dozen structures in various parts of Kashmir today due to a sudden windstorm,” it said.

The People’s Democratic Party has, meanwhile, urged the J&K government for immediate assessment of losses.

“Severe windstorms have wreaked havoc and left a trail of death and mayhem across the Valley. Urge LG administration to expeditiously assess the damages incurred and adequately compensate the affected families,” the party said in a tweet.