Lightning kills three children in west UP districts

BAREILLY: Lightning struck three children who were playing in the first monsoon rain to cool themselves off from the sweltering afternoon heat in western Uttar Pradesh districts of Budaun and Shahjahanpur on Monday, killing them instantly.
In Budaun district, a 12-year-old boy was struck by lightning when he and his friends were enjoying rains. In the incident, another boy sustained burn injuries and was admitted to hospital in Diyorijit village under Binavar police station jurisdiction.
According to local residents, it started raining around 1pm and the shower lured the children and they went out to cool themselves off from the scorching heat. Five children were playing in the rain when the lightning struck, injuring Karan (12) and Owais (9). The boys were rushed to hospital, where doctors proclaimed Karan dead on arrival. Owais’s condition, however, is said to be critical.
According to sources with the district administration, the report will be sent to Lucknow for ex gratia to the kin of the boy.
In Shahjahanpur district, lighting struck two children playing in the rain in a mango orchard in Bhartapur Chikatiya village of Mirzapur block in the afternoon. Besides, four cattle were also killed in lightning in Madnapur area.
The children were identified as Sunny (14) and his neighbour Khushbu (12). The bodies were sent for autopsy.
SDM Ashok Choudhary and Mirzapur police station SHO Sudhakar Pandey met the aggrieved families. The SDM assured them an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each.
The SHO told TOI, “The children were collecting mangoes when lightning struck them and they died on the spot. Such deaths come under natural calamity.”