4 killed, 7 injured in lightning in UP villages

BIJNOR: Four people were killed and seven injured in two separate incidents in Uttar Pradesh when lightning struck them in Kaneta village in Amroha and Bijnor, police said.
The first incident occurred on Saturday late evening when some labourers were returning to their homes after cutting trees. Three of them died on the spot while seven were injured in Amroha. The injured were rushed to hospital, where their condition is stated to be stable.
Those dead include Premchandr (28) and Rajendra Singh (32) - residents of Hajipur Tarara village, and Rifaqat Ali (55) from Ujhari town, police said.
"All three were daily wagers and were travelling back home after an assignment when lightning hit their tractor," said Amroha district magistrate BK Tripathi.
He added, "Seven labourers -- identified as Waseem, Nawajish, Anees, Kalva, Imraan, Manraj and Devendra -- sustained burn injuries. They were admitted to Hasanpur community hospital, where their condition is stable. The families of all the victims will be given Rs 4 lakh each as financial assistance."
Meanwhile, in another incident, lightning strike killed 27-year-old Lalit Kumar, who succumbed to his burn injuries in Bijnor. He was a district general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Yuva). Police said the body has been sent to the district hospital for autopsy and further legal procedure is on.