Bihar: Lightning claims 3 more lives

PATNA: At least three people were killed in lightning strikes in Purnia, Khagaria and Saharsa districts in the last 24 hours, an official at the control room of the disaster management department in Patna said on Tuesday. Earlier, 17 people had died due to lightning on June 18 and 19.
In Khagaria, a farmer died on the spot when lightning struck him at Korilwara Bahiyar under Pasraha police station on Monday. The deceased was identified as Arun Pandit alias Kailash Pandit of Bandehra village under the same police station.
Weathermen have advised people to remain alert as lightning is expected in the state over the next few days as well. Patna Meteorological Centre issued a yellow alert for thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in all 38 districts till Saturday.
Lightning strikes occur frequently in Bihar, especially ahead of the onset of southwest monsoon and in the subsequent few weeks.
Experts attribute the frequent lightning strikes to geographical positioning of Bihar along with monsoon factors. They said position of Bihar close to Nepal Terai region is one of the biggest factors for the frequent lightning strikes.
The Himalayan Terai region in Nepal supports the formation of cumulonimbus (only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lightning) and cumulus (clouds that sometimes look like pieces of floating cotton) clouds over Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh. Such clouds, especially Cumulonimbus clouds, have positive charge on their top and negative charge at base. The opposite charges in the clouds lead to creation of lightning, they said.
Meanwhile, an official at Patna Meteorological Centre said the intensity of rainfall in the state would increase from Friday. The rainfall is expected to be comparatively more in north Bihar.
(With inputs from N P Thakur in Khagaria)