Eight people died and ten were injured after being struck by lightning in Nawada and Banka districts of Bihar during rainfall. Many of the deceased were working in the fields.
बिहार में आसमानी बिजली का कहर, 24 घंटे में 5 महिलाओं सहित 9 लोगों की मौत, 10 घायल
Amidst rainfall in Bihar, lightning has wreaked havoc across two districts. Eight people died and ten were injured in separate incidents on Tuesday in Nawada and Banka. In Rajauli, Nawada, three laborers died on the spot after being struck by lightning while transplanting paddy. Meanwhile, five people lost their lives in separate lightning strikes in the Chandan and Bounsi blocks of Banka. The deceased include five women and three men; the injured also include women and two children.
Three laborers transplanting paddy in a Nawada field die
On Tuesday evening, laborers were transplanting paddy in a field owned by farmer Manoj Yadav near Dariyapur village, under the Amava West Panchayat of Rajauli block in Nawada district. Suddenly, the weather changed; clouds gathered, and lightning struck the field accompanied by loud thunder. Three laborers were struck and died instantly. Panic ensued following the accident, and a large number of villagers rushed to the scene. Police and administrative officials were informed; a team arrived, and the process of sending the bodies for post-mortem examinations began. Two ambulances were also dispatched from Rajauli to the site.
The deceased have been identified as Mani Manjhi (60), Rajendra Manjhi (20), and Indrajit Manjhi (18), all residents of Madesara village in Sitamarhi district. Rajendra was the son of Rampreet Manjhi, while Indrajit was the son of Indal Manjhi; the three were relatives. A total of 12 laborers from Madesara village had come to Rajauli for seasonal paddy transplanting work. They were working at various locations; some were in Raja Bigha village, while four were transplanting paddy in Manoj Yadav’s field in Dariyapur when the tragedy occurred. Raghuvir Kumar, who was working alongside them, had a narrow escape and witnessed the entire incident. Grief has engulfed the families of the deceased following the tragedy, and the sudden deaths of laborers—who had come to another district to earn a livelihood—have created a severe crisis for their families.
Rajauli Station House Officer (SHO) and Inspector Ranjeet Kumar stated that a police team arrived at the scene immediately upon receiving the information. ASI Sanjay Kumar Yadav reached the site with a police force and initiated the necessary procedures. The police took custody of the three bodies, completed the inquest formalities, and began the process of sending them to Nawada Sadar Hospital. Circle Officer Md. Gufran Mazhari confirmed receiving reports of three deaths caused by lightning strikes. The families of the deceased will receive government compensation in accordance with disaster management provisions, and the administration is currently completing the required formalities. This incident, which occurred while the victims were working in the fields, has once again highlighted the danger of lightning strikes in open areas. A pall of gloom hangs over Dariyapur and the surrounding villages.
Five Dead, 10 Injured in Banka
Lightning strikes caused havoc in Banka district as well during the rains on Tuesday. Five people died and 10 were injured in separate incidents across the Chandan and Bounsi blocks. In Bonda village, under the Suiya police station area of Chandan block, three women were killed after being struck by lightning while planting paddy in a field; a teenage boy and a teenage girl sustained serious injuries. With the help of villagers, all were taken to the Katoria Community Health Centre, where doctors declared the three women dead. The deceased have been identified as Kusmi Devi (45, wife of Shambhu Yadav), Rinku Devi (35, wife of Tipan Yadav), and Renu Devi (38, wife of Rajendra Yadav). The three women were sisters-in-law (gotnis). Meanwhile, Saurabh Kumar (son of Tipan Yadav) and Rani Kumari (daughter of the late Kartik Yadav) are critically injured.
In Bounsi block too, two people died and five were injured in separate lightning strike incidents. Suresh Yadav, a resident of Ward No. 7 in Siray village, was struck by lightning near a pond while heading to his fields and died on the spot. Meanwhile, Sufiyana Khatoon (50) of Kazikairi village was returning after delivering refreshments to laborers planting paddy when she was killed by a lightning strike. Nasima Khatoon (40) sustained severe burns; however, due to the lack of a bridge and the presence of water in the river, she is undergoing treatment within the village itself. Three women from Bena Mohanpur village, including Madhuri Devi (42) from Daliya village, also suffered burns from lightning strikes. The families of Suresh Yadav and Sufiyana Khatoon are inconsolable, and both families have refused to have post-mortems conducted on the bodies. A sense of panic prevails among the villagers due to these lightning incidents amidst continuous rainfall.
Manoj Yadav, the JD(U) MLA from Belhar, expressed grief over the incidents and described the deaths of the three women from the same family as deeply tragic. He assured the affected families that they would soon receive the government-mandated compensation. Mourning has gripped the affected villages following these tragedies. The danger of lightning strikes has once again emerged as a serious threat to people working in open fields and other outdoor locations during the rainy season.
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