With 11 more deaths in J’khand, lightning toll rises to 22 in 48 hrs
Eleven people died due to thunderstorm in different parts of Jharkhand on Monday, taking weather-related toll to 22 in 48 hours in the state and 29 this month.
Monsoon is still away but several parts of the state have received rain, coupled with high speed wind and thunderstorm since Sunday.
Local media reports claim 43 deaths this year due to lightning, but the state disaster management department (DMD) has so far received reports of 14 deaths.
The DMD officials said the reports are compiled by the respective districts separately, which take time to reach the headquarters.
Three deaths were reported from Ranchi and two deaths each from Palamu and Ramgarh. Chatra, Hazaribag, Lohardaga, Bokaro have recorded one death each till Monday night.
In Ranchi’s Itki area, 17-yearold Subhash Minz was struck by lightning when he was sitting with four other people outside his home at Nari village. At 8.30 pm, lightning strike killed him on the spot.
However, other four people did not receive any injury.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), Ranchi, for post mortem.
In another incident, Class-6 student Vishal Mahto, 12, was hit by thunderbolt when he was returning home from a vegetable market with his grandfather at Koynartoli village in Ranchi’s Namkum. Two goats also died in the incident.
Ranchi saw the third death when thunderbolt struck one Phulesh Machua, a mason, at Tamar on Monday evening.
Ashok Kumar, special secretary, state disaster management, said the department was serious over the lightning deaths.
“Timely information and preventive measures are the only option to reduce the casualty from lightning,” added Kumar.
Kumar said that they have created a WhatsApp group and all deputy commissioners are connected to it.
“We take weather information from India Meteorological Department and Skymet. As soon as we get the information, respective DCs are immediately informed for precautionary measures,” Kumar said, adding, they were also circulating Do’s and Don’ts through vernacular dailies, local television and radio.
He said there are ultra-modern arrestors but they could protect a certain limited area. “This is almost impossible to install such arrestors across the state, especially in remote areas,” he said.
IMD centre, Ranchi, director BK Mandal said, “The present weather condition will continue in Jharkhand for the next few days.”
He said the meteorological centre, Ranchi, releases thunderstorm alert two to three hours before the event so that people could take the precautionary measures.
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