Three men killed in lightning strikes in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur

Three men were killed in two separate lightning strike incidents in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said on Thursday.

The incidents took place on Wednesday evening in the Kota area while the victims were engaged in agricultural work, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Nupur Upadhyay said.

Manna Yadav, 41, from Lakhotana, and his relative Kunjaram Yadav, 45, from Nawadih in Belgahna, were working in a field when the weather suddenly changed around 6 pm. Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds followed.

The two men were struck by lightning and local residents rushed them to a community health centre, where doctors declared them dead, the official said.

In the other incident, 45-year-old farmer Jageshwar Jagat of Manpur village had gone to a field to repair its boundary ridge when heavy rain began. He took shelter under a tree, which was then struck by lightning.

Jagat suffered serious burn injuries and was taken to a hospital, where he died during treatment, the official said.

The bodies will be handed over to the families after post-mortem examinations, she said.

Kota police have registered cases of accidental death in both incidents.  (with inputs from PTI)