Bhubaneswar: At least 12 people were killed and 14 injured in extreme lightning strikes in 11 districts of the State yesterday, office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said today.
Lightning strikes claimed the lives of four people in Khurda district, two in Bolangir and one each in Angul, Boudh, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal and Puri, it said.
Sharing the information on its official X (twitter) handle, the office of the SRC informed that the highest number of deaths were reported from Khurda district where four people died, two in Bolangir, and one each casualty was reported from Angul, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri districts yesterday.
Besides, eight cattle (six in Gajapati and two in Kandhamal) were also killed in the lightning strikes that occurred on Saturday, it said.
The above districts of Odisha, including the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, witnessed heavy rain with lightning strikes yesterday.
The State recorded 36,597 CC (cloud to cloud) lightning and 25,753 CG (cloud to ground) lightning in the afternoon, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) said.
Ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakhs will be paid to each of the bereaved families from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). In case of cattle death, assistance would be extended as admissible, the office of SRC said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a similar situation in several parts of the state for four days. It has advised people to take shelter in safe places during thunderstorm activity.
The cyclonic circulation over Northeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood persists and now extends upto 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, a low pressure area is likely to form over northwest & adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal during next 48 hours, the IMD said.
Under its impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall will occur at one or two places over the districts of Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Kandhamal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Sonepur, Malkangiri, Koraput, and Nabarangpur today.
Thunderstorm with lightning to occur at one or two places over the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj,Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Sonepur today, it said.