A total of 1,462 people died due to lightning in a span of five years in the State, informed Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Bijayshree Routraya in the State Assembly on Monday. One person from Jharsuguda district has become physically handicapped due to the lightning, he said while replying to a question.
Routray said of the 1,462 lightning death cases, the family members of 1,279 victims have so far given ex-gratia while remaining ones will get the amount soon. In five years, Mayurbhanj district claimed the highest lightning toll of 153 while the lowest of 11 was reported from Boudh and Gajapati districts. Other districts with high death tolls during the period are Ganjam and Sundergarh (95 each), Jajpur (94), Dhenkanal (93) and Keonjhar (86), Routray said.