3 youths die in lightning strike while watching football match in Odisha’s Sundargarh

Rourkela: Three youths were killed on the spot in a lightning strike when they were watching a football match today at Biruala village under Brahmanitarang police limits in Rourkela of Sundargarh district.

Identities of the three deceased youths have not been ascertained yet, a senior police official said.

According to an eyewitness, some youths belonging to Biruala village were playing a friendly match in a field. All of a sudden it started raining when the game was underway. The players immediately took shelter under a tree to save them from being drenched in water as there was no shelter nearby.

Unfortunately, lightning struck on the tree leading to the untimely deaths, the eyewitness added.

On being informed by locals, Brahmanitarang police reached the spot, recovered the bodies, and sent them to Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) for post-mortem. Police have launched a probe into the fatal incident, which is underway. “The bodies have been kept in a morgue,” an official said.

Worth mentioning, in its mid-day bulletin today, India Meteorological Department (IMD) regional centre in Bhubaneswar had warned that due to prevalent monsoon trough and a well marked low pressure area, thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at one or two places over at least 18 districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours. IMD has issued Yellow Warning for the next five days.