At least nine people were killed and 20 others injured in separate incidents of lightning strikes across different parts of Odisha on Saturday, officials aware of the incident said.
The nine killed included a minor boy. The two killed were from Mayurbhanj, two from Bhadrak, and one each in Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, and Ganjam districts, said officials.
In Mayurbhanj district, a tribal couple—Lachhman Murmu and his wife Sakar Murmu—were busy in paddy transplantation when they fell to a bolt of lightning as they tried to rush back to safety, said officials.
In Bhadrak district, two farmers—Amar Sethi and Hemant Barik—were killed after lightning hit them while they were working in the field, officials added.
A 13-year-old boy died in the lightning strike in Keonjhar, while 12 people were injured in Bargarh.
Odisha has recorded 10,741 deaths due to lightning in the last five years, according to the data from the Climate Resilient Observing-Systems Promotion Council.
The area-adjusted lightning deaths (deaths per 1,000 sq km) were highest in Odisha with 69 deaths per 1,000 sq km and second highest at 256 deaths per one million population after Madhya Pradesh (261) according to the data.