PM Modi condoles death as 5 die in lightning

Five more persons died in lightning in various parts of Orissa, taking the death toll to 35 in the last two days, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for death of at least 30 persons in the natural disaster on Sunday.

Reports said three persons, one of them a 12-year-old boy, died in Dhenkanal district while two others died in the southern Nabarangpur district.

“The unfortunate loss of lives due to lightning in Orissa is saddening. Deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

“I hope those injured due to lightning in Orissa recover soon,” Mr Modi added.

At least 30 people were killed after being struck by lightning in different parts of Odisha on Saturday.

While the maximum number of eight deaths were reported from Bhadrak district, there were seven casualties in Balasore district, five in Khurda, three in Mayurbhanj, three in Jajpur and one each in Kendrapara, Keonjhar and Nayagarh, the police said.

Orissa has been experiencing heavy downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning since Saturday morning under the influence of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.

Meanwhile, the local Met office on Sunday morning predicted more heavy rainfall in coastal Orissa in the next 24 hours.