Kanker, June 12 (IANS). On Friday, during sudden heavy rain in Kalgaon village of Antagarh block of Kanker district, lightning struck people taking shelter under a tree. A deputy sarpanch and two other villagers were killed in the incident, while five others were injured.
The deceased have been identified as Kalgaon Deputy Sarpanch Manraj Patel, Santosh Patel and Prakash Patel.
Antagarh Police Station officials said that the injured included five women, one of whom has been referred to Kanker for better treatment.
The remaining injured are undergoing treatment at the Community Health Center of Antagarh.
Around 50 to 60 laborers had gathered in Kalgaon village to work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) scheme.
While engaged in the work of deepening the pond, suddenly the weather became stormy and it started raining heavily.
The group took shelter under a nearby tree to escape the rain.
Moments later, a powerful lightning struck the tree, killing three people on the spot and injuring five others.
Describing the horrific incident, the villagers told how the workers were taken by surprise by the sudden change in the weather.
MNREGA work was going on normally before the tragic incident occurred.
Of the eight people directly affected by lightning, three lost their lives.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem as per standard procedure.
Local authorities are expected to review the safety protocols at MNREGA work sites to prevent such incidents in future.
While the village is in mourning for the dead, the focus is on providing necessary support to the bereaved families and ensuring proper medical care to the injured.
With the arrival of monsoon, various parts of Central India are experiencing thunderstorms and strong winds with speeds up to 70 km per hour.
–IANS
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