3 killed in lightning strike in Jharkhand

Three persons, including two minors, were killed and four others injured when lightning struck them at a village in Chatra district, the police said here on Sunday.

The incident happened at Madwa village under the jurisdiction of Lawalong police station on Saturday evening, when seven cattle grazers, all of them residents of the same village, had taken shelter under a tree during a downpour, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Lawalong, Sailendra Kumar Chourasia, said.

Three of them were killed on the spot, while the rest were seriously injured, the BDO said.

The deceased were identified as Pappu Kumar (18), Kelu Ganju (10) and Kailash Kumar (12), Chourasia said.

The injured were identified as Sakindra Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Yugal Kumar and Pravesh Kumar and they are being treated at the Sadar Hospital, he said.

Compensation as per rules would be given to the families of the deceased, the Deputy Commissioner of Chatra district, Jitendra Kumar Singh, said.