3 killed, 1 injured in lightning strikes in West Bengal's Malda

Three persons were killed and one was critically injured in lightning strikes triggered by a thunderstorm in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday, police said.

Strong winds accompanied by lightning strikes hit the Harishchandrapur area of the district around 3 pm, killing three persons working in the fields in different neighbourhoods, inspector in-charge Sanjay Kumar Das said.

Those killed were identified as Mithu Karmakar (33), Pinu Orao (57) and Sultan Ahmed (23), the police said. Karmakar, a resident of Barduari Dakshin Ramnagar village, was working in the field when the incident happened, his family said.

Oraon, who lived in the neighbouring Baisha village, was working in the mango orchard behind his house when he was hit by lightning, his son-in-law Mahabir Orao said.

Ahmed, from Narayanpur village, was also working in the field at the time of the incident and when taken to a hospital, the doctors declared him dead, his brother Barjahan Ali said.

Krishna Saha (22) of Ramnagar village was critically injured in a lightning strike. He was first taken to the Harishchandrapur Hospital, from where he was shifted to the Chachal Superspeciality Hospital as his health condition deteriorated, the police said.