Around 30 persons died as lightning struck them at different places across the State on Saturday.

According to reports, Ajay Jena and Padmalochan Jena of Angula village and Gajendra Patra of Jagannathpur village in Baleswar district’s Soro block were killed after being struck by lightning when they were working in crop fields.

A woman of Paikasida, two brothers of Namakana and one person of Churmara in Jaleswar area of the district too lost their lives in the lightning.

Four persons of Bisalapatta village in Banta block of Bhadrak district died in lightning strike. The incident took place while they were working in their field.

Similarly, two persons of Balichaturi village in Tihidi block, one person of Panibhandar village, a woman of Kusannagar, one person of Manipur village in Chandbali of Bhadrak district were too killed in lightning.

In another such incident, two persons, one from Ramachandrapur in Anandpur of Keonjhar district and another of Mendhasala in Khordha distirct, were killed. Three persons of Sundarpur in Khordha lost their lives in the lightning.

A girl of Digidhar village in Baripada of Mayurbhanj district was killed while a student of Hariharpur in Nayagarh district died after being struck by lightning.

A traibal man and 19 cows perished in lightning attack at two different places in Jharsuguda district on the day.

The tribal was identified as Jagya Kishan (32), a tribal farmer of Nakshapali village under Kirimira block.

lighting struck the cows when they were returning from a grazing field at Raghunathpali village in Kulabira block of the district.

In a message, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over deaths of people in the lightning.

Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said the family of each deceased would get Rs 4 lakh as per the relief code of the State Government.