Three farmers including two women were struck dead by lightning in their agricultural fields in separate incidents in the district on Thursday.
Domala Sundar, 40, died on the spot after being struck by a bolt of lighting when ploughing the farm amid drizzle at Pinapaka Pattinagar in Burgampadu mandal on Thursday afternoon. A pair of bullocks deployed by him to plough the field also perished in the incident.
Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the incident site as grieving family members broke down inconsolably on seeing the dead bodies of their breadwinner and a pair of bullocks lying in the field.
The villagers lamented over the irreparable loss suffered by the poor farmer's family at a time when preparing for the delayed sowing operations. They sought government's support to the bereaved family of the deceased.
In another incident, Anusha, 25, met with a tragic end when lightning struck her while working in a cotton field at Oddugudem village in Tekulapally mandal late in the afternoon. She is survived by her husband and two children.
In the same mandal, another woman farmer was struck dead by lightning at an agricultural field on the outskirts of Barlagudem village in the evening. The identify of the deceased could not be ascertained immediately.