Lightning strike kills six in single day

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, June 26: Six persons died after being struck by lightning in different parts of the country on Saturday alone. Two of the victims were children.

According to the daily bulletin of the Nepal Police Headquarters, the deaths were reported from Dang, Kaski, Baglung and Gulmi districts. 

In Ward No. 5 of Dhorpatan Municipality of Baglung, Chitra Bahadur BK lost two of his children. 

Police informed that Chitra's six-year-old son Dinesh and nine-year-old daughter Sunita died when they were struck by lightning Saturday night.

Similarly, 40-year-old Bishnu BK was also hit by a lightning strike in Ward No. 8 of Malika Rural Municipality of Gulmi. 

He was struck while he was walking in the front yard of his house. Injured Bishnu died while undergoing treatment at Rajsthal-based Primary Health Centre.

Meanwhile, Dev Bahadur BK, 49, of Ward No. 23 of Pokhara Metropolitan City in Kaski, was hit by lightning while he was closing the door of his house. 

He died during treatment at the Metro City Hospital nearby.

To prevent people from lightning, authorities have been requesting the public to stay indoors when the weather turns cloudy and windy and ready to rain.

According to authorities, farmers, who continue working in the open field despite the change in weather, are at the highest risk of getting struck by lightning.

For instance, on Saturday, two farmers working in their fields in Ward No. 6 of Dangisharan Rural Municipality of Dang were struck by lightning.

Police informed that 32-year-old Samir KC and 37-year-old Ramnarayan Chaudhary aka Birendra were hit by lightning. 

The duo died during treatment at the Tulsipur-based Rapti Provincial Hospital.

Moreover, three other individuals involved in the agriculture sector were hit by lightning in the month of June.

On June 13, Yamraj Bista, 31, a herder from Ward No. 1 of Jagannath Rural Municipality in Bajura district, died after being hit by lightning while herding cattle.

Likewise, on June 20, 40-year-old Binod Kahar, a resident of Ramgram Municipality of Nawalparasi West district, was struck by lightning while working in his field. He died during treatment in Bhairahawa.

On June 21, 57-year-old farmer Chhabilal Saru of Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality of Nawalparasi East district, also died of a lightning strike while working in his field.

Lightning strikes were the third major killer after fire and landslides last year. 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) data shows that 84 people died and 238 were injured in 290 lightning incidents between April 14, 2022, to April 13, 2023.

The data also shows that, since April 14, 2023, 101 incidents of lightning have been reported in which 13 people died and 83 others were injured until Friday, June 24.

The NDRRMA and concerned authorities have been generating awareness regarding the prevention of lightning strikes physically and digitally.