Overview
- At least five people have died in separate lightning incidents reported in eastern India, with confirmed deaths in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, and multiple reported fatalities in Odisha.
- In Jharkhand two men who were playing football were struck and later declared dead at a nearby community health centre, a police officer and doctors confirmed.
- Odisha reports say two boys playing cricket and an elderly man sheltering under a tamarind tree were killed, and another person was seriously injured while seeking cover during a sudden downpour.
- Local accounts and hospital staff describe victims running for cover beneath isolated trees when lightning struck, a recurring risky behaviour that experts warn against.
- Weather and disaster authorities advise people to move into sturdy buildings or enclosed vehicles during thunderstorms and to avoid open fields, hilltops and lone trees.