Bhubaneswar, July 26: A farmer and his young son were killed after lightning struck them while they were transplanting paddy in a field under Kamakhyanagar in Odisha's Dhenkanal district on Sunday, triggering grief across their village.

The deceased were identified as Santosh Dehury (55) and his son, Satyanarayan Dehury (24), residents of Balipada village under the jurisdiction of Kamakhyanagar police station.

According to local residents, the father and son had gone to their agricultural field near Gordia village to transplant paddy saplings. As they worked in the rain, a powerful lightning strike hit them, leaving both critically injured.

Farmers working in nearby fields rushed to their aid and shifted them to the Kamakhyanagar hospital. However, doctors declared both dead on arrival.

After receiving information about the incident, Kamakhyanagar police reached the hospital, seized the bodies for post-mortem examination and launched an investigation.

The tragic incident has plunged Balipada village into mourning. Santosh, the family's primary breadwinner, worked alongside his son in farming, and their simultaneous deaths have left the bereaved family in deep distress.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been issuing warnings of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning across several districts of Odisha over the past few days.