In a major tragedy, at least 17 persons were killed and many others suffered burn injuries in the lightning that struck them in different parts of the State on Wednesday afternoon.
Three persons, Rama Patra, Santia Harichandan and Tutu Ojha died while four others were critically injured as lightning struck near labanagiri Jagannath Temple area of Panchagaon on the outskirts of the capital city. The four injured persons were admitted at the Capital Hospital. Another person was also killed in lightning near Dhauli.
In Kendrapada, four persons died and eight sustained injuries on in lightning.
According to police sources, one Bhaskar Sethy (60) of Keredagada village under Rajnagar police station was killed as lightning struck him while he was moving on the village road.
Similarly, a 37-year-old Mali Mallick, wife of Sarat Mallick of the same village died as lightning struck her while she was cooking lunch. A 15-years old boy identified as Subrat Rout, son of Santosh Rout of Daruora village under Iswarpur GP in Rajnagar also died while he was going to a nearby agriculture field to bring their cattle to the house.
Mathura Das (38) of Karanja village under Marshaghai police station died as lightning struck at him.
The eight injured persons were identified as Bilasini Swain(40) and Itishree Swain (20) of Guladia village, Brundaban Rout (40) of Sansarphala village, Jiten Biswal (12) and Chandan Rout (12) of Daruora village, Ketan Patra (35) and Rajesh Biswal (25) of Rajpur and Guluri Jena (30) of Balabhadrapur village.
Two persons were killed and two sustained burn injuries in Khuntapal village under Rasgobindpur block in Mayurbhanj district. lightning struck them while they were going to the river for taking a bath while two more persons died in Kandagaradi and Bisrampur in Chandabali area in Bhadrak district each.
Sources also said lightning claimed four lives while rendering one other critically injured in Hinjili block in Ganjam district while one woman was killed in Dia village in Nirakarpur in Khordha district.
Sources added that 11 cows and 10 goats were also killed in lightning in Mahulpur village in Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district.