5 killed in lightning strikes in Jharkhand

TRICHY: At least five people, including a girl and two women, were killed in lightning strikes in four districts of Jharkhand in the past 24 hours, police said.

Two deaths were reported from Garhwa district on Friday, and one each from Ranchi, Dhanbad and Bokaro, officers said.

A 12-year-old girl, identified as Ashrita, was killed in a lightning strike when she was collecting mangoes from a tree with her parents at Kulli village under the Itki Police Station limits in Ranchi on Friday, an officer said.

Her parents were injured and admitted to the local health centre, he said.

In Garhwa, a 45-year-old woman died after being struck by lightning in Garakhurd village under the Kandi Police Station limits, while a man, aged 32, was killed in Banajangha village, another officer said.

A 44-year-old woman died at Chungi village in Rajganj Police Station area in Dhanbad, while a 21-year-old man lost his life in a lightning strike in Babudih village under the Pindrajora Police Station limits in Bokaro, he said.

Heavy rains, coupled with lightning strikes, lashed major parts of Jharkhand on Friday and continued on Saturday morning, which helped bring down the maximum temperature across the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert (be prepared) of thunderstorms for 13 districts, including Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Koderma, Giridih, Dhanbad and Godda, till 8.30 am on Sunday.

Ranchi Meteorological Centre Deputy Director Abhishek Anand said the change in weather is caused by two trough systems.

"The maximum temperature fell by up to 7 degrees Celsius across Jharkhand. During the next four days, the temperature is likely to increase by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius," he said.

Daltonganj registered the highest maximum temperature at 34.5 degrees Celsius, 6.2 notches below the normal temperature, on Friday, and Chaibasa at 33.4 deg C and Ranchi at 27.8 deg C.