Bhubaneswar, September 21: Tragedy struck Bharasa Nuanpalli village under the Khallikote police limits of Ganjam district on Sunday afternoon, as a lightning strike claimed the life of a 45-year-old woman and left another woman in critical condition while they were working in a paddy field.
The deceased has been identified as Chandrama Gouda, the wife of Jayaram Gouda, a resident of the village. Reports suggest that Chandrama was struck by lightning while she was engaged in agricultural work. Another woman, who was working nearby, was also hit by the lightning and is currently receiving treatment for severe injuries.
Both women were rushed to Khallikote Community Health Centre (CHC) for medical attention. Unfortunately, doctors declared Chandrama Gouda dead on arrival, while the injured woman continues to fight for her life in the hospital.
Local police arrived at the CHC shortly after and took possession of the body, which has been sent for post-mortem. The incident has cast a pall of grief over the village, with a somber mood prevailing at the health facility.
Authorities are expected to begin formal procedures for compensation, and a probe into the incident is underway. However, no official statements have been made yet by the local police or the family.
This tragic incident comes after a similar string of lightning-related fatalities earlier this year. On May 16, Odisha witnessed multiple lightning strikes during Nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) thunderstorms, resulting in the deaths of ten people across the state. These fatalities included victims from Koraput, Ganjam, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, and Gajapati districts. Notably, three people in Koraput district were killed when an abrupt storm hit, including an elderly woman and her granddaughter from Pordiguda in Odiapentha panchayat.