Nine Killed In Lightning Strikes In…

At least nine people, including six women, were killed and some others injured in separate incidents of lightning strikes across Odisha on Friday amid thunderstorms in the state, officials said.While three persons died in Koraput district, two each died in Jajpur and Ganjam districts, and one each in Dhenkanal and Gajapati districts, they said.Three women lost their lives and an elderly man was critically injured in a lightning strike at Paridiguda village in Laxmipur police station area in Koraput district on Friday afternoon.According to sources, the victims, who were members of the same family, had taken shelter in a makeshift hut while working in the fields as heavy rain and strong winds swept through the area. A lightning struck the hut, killing three women on the spot, a police officer said,The victims have been identified as Brudhi Mandinga (60), her granddaughter Kasa Mandinga (18), and Ambika Kashi (35) of Kumbharguda village. Brudhi and Kasa Mandinga were residents of Paridiguda, he said.Another 65-year-old man, identified as Hingu Mandinga, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Lakshmipur Community Health Centre, where he is currently undergoing treatment, the officer added.