In the Palamu district, a series of lightning strikes resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including three members of the same family. The incidents occurred in the Panki and Patan regions. In Panki, three women were killed, while a young man lost his life in Patan. The events have cast a pall of mourning over the affected villages.
In the Jolhabigha village of the Kekergarh Panchayat in Panki block, three members of a family died when lightning struck while they were working in a paddy field. The deceased were identified as Okida Khatoon (34), Rashmi Bibi (35), and Rajvi Bibi (40). Rajvi Bibi had come to her maternal home in Jolhabigha to assist with the paddy planting.
Separately, in the Nawadih Bhurwa village within the Patan police station area, a young man named Niranjan Mehta (32) died instantly after being struck by lightning. The incident occurred as he was transporting paddy saplings in the field. Niranjan is survived by two young children, including a daughter who is only one and a half years old. The tragic incident has plunged the village into grief.
In a separate incident, Pushpa Devi, the wife of Vinayak Saw, the Eastern Panchayat Samiti member (Sarpanch) of Pathakpagar Panchayat in Tarhasi block, narrowly escaped injury during a lightning strike. However, four of her goats were killed. The event took place under a mahua tree where the goats had taken shelter from the rain. Pushpa had been there but left for home shortly before the lightning hit the tree, killing the goats. The loss of the goats is estimated to be around 80,000 rupees.