1 dead, at least 45 hurt in lightning strike; Abhishek expresses grief

MP | 1 May 2023 | KOLKATA: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporter died and at least 45 others were injured when lightning struck in Bankura’s Indas. Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is currently in Uttar Dinajpur, expressed his grief over the tragic incident and directed party leaders to meet the family members of the victims. 

All the injured and the deceased came to attend a political rally organised by the ruling party. As it started raining, the supporters took shelter beneath trees. 

The incident happened when lightning struck a tree beneath which the victims took shelter. The injured were rushed to Indas Block Primary Health Centre. Abhishek has directed Debangshu Bhattacharya and other local leaders of TMC to meet the families of those affected. 

“Party stands in the hour of grief with them and will provide all necessary medical assistance to those injured and will provide support to the families of those who lost their lives,” he said. “Our hearts go out to those affected by the lightning incident at Indas. We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased & will do our best to support them. We’re monitoring the situation & working with local authorities to provide medical assistance to the injured,” Trinamool Congress tweeted. Rain, which lasted for nearly a couple of hours, accompanied by thunderstorms lashed several parts of South Bengal on Sunday afternoon, including Kolkata. 

The rainfall, however, failed to bring down the humidity level. Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore predicted that there may be hailstorms in several South Bengal districts in the next 24 hours while North Bengal districts will receive moderate to heavy rainfall. 

Several North and South Bengal districts may continue to receive thunderstorms and rains till Wednesday. 

“A low-pressure trough has been situated over a stretch between Sikkim and Bihar as a result there has been a huge incursion of moisture into the mainland. It will bring more rainfall in various districts in the next 24 hours. 

It may continue till Wednesday,’’ a weather official said. Among the districts that are likely to experience thunderstorms with light to moderate rain include Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Kalimpong, said the weatherman. 

“Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar may receive 70-110 mm rainfall while South Bengal districts may witness light to moderate rainfall accompanied by hailstorms in some places. There will be a strong breeze measuring 40-50 kmph that may sweep through South Bengal districts,” a weather official said. 

The city mostly remained cloudy from Sunday morning. The lowest temperature on Sunday morning remained at 26 degree Celsius in Kolkata. The MeT office had earlier predicted scattered rainfall in various South Bengal districts till Tuesday. There was a heavy rainfall prediction in some pockets of North Bengal as well. 

The MeT office said that discomfort will prevail in the city and other South Bengal districts due to high humidity levels. The city witnessed a couple of spells of Norwester this season in the last few days. Most of the South Bengal districts have been receiving light showers in the past couple of days. Nearly 17 people died in separate incidents of lightning across the state last Thursday. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/1-dead-at-least-45-hurt-in-lightning-strike-abhishek-expresses-grief-517006