2 killed by lightning in Uttarakhand; snowfall, rains continue

Two persons, including an adolescent, were killed after being struck by lightning in two separate incidents in Uttarakhand amid continuing snowfall in the higher reaches of the hill districts and unseasonal rains lashing the plain areas of the state.
Concerned over the loss of lives and property caused by unseasonal rains in the state, Chief Minister Harish Rawat asked Chief Secretary N Ravishankar and all the district magistrates to be vigilant and submit a report on the losses caused by vagaries of the weather.
35-year-old farmer Om Prakash was killed after being struck by lightning in Vikasnagar area of Dehradun district last evening, SDM of Vikasnagar P C Dumka said.

In a similar incident in Tehri district last evening, lightning struck a group of children grazing cattle in Ghansali area.
They were rushed to a nearby primary health centre where 15-year-old Ramlal died during treatment.
The rest of the children who received burn injuries in the lightning are still under treatment.

Rawat has expressed grief at the loss of lives in both the lightning incidents and asked the District Magistrates concerned to submit a report to him on the losses caused by lightning in their areas.
Overcast conditions with intermittent drizzle prevailed in most parts of the state including Dehradun causing a drop in temperature.

The higher reaches in hill districts including Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri received snowfall.