In a tragic turn of events, at least 10 people — including three minors — lost their lives due to lightning strikes as a fierce nor’wester swept through several districts of Odisha on Friday afternoon. The devastation was especially severe in Koraput district, where three individuals, including an elderly woman and her granddaughter, were killed when lightning struck a hut in Paridiguda village where they had taken shelter. Five others were severely injured in the same incident. Additionally, a man named Dasa Jani, aged 32, died while fishing in a river near Semiliguda block. Meanwhile, another lightning strike in Benora village of Nabarangpur district claimed the life of a minor, Lalita Majhi, while her uncle Chaityaram Majhi is undergoing treatment for critical injuries.

Tragedy also struck in Jajpur district, where two children playing outdoors at Budusahi village were killed on the spot by a lightning bolt. In Gajapati district, a woman shopkeeper named Damayanti Mandal died and four others sustained serious injuries during a thunderstorm in the Udayagiri area. The violence of the storm extended further as three additional deaths were reported — two in Ganjam district and one in Kamakhyanagar area of Dhenkanal — all resulting from lightning strikes on Friday afternoon. Local sources confirmed that the thunderstorm brought with it heavy rainfall, powerful winds, and fatal bolts of lightning.

Officials stated that Friday’s nor’wester caused sudden and widespread havoc, catching many villagers off-guard. The disaster has once again drawn attention to the lethal nature of lightning incidents in Odisha. Data reveals that between 2022 and 2024, a staggering 1,075 people lost their lives due to lightning in the state. Authorities are urging people to remain indoors during storms and to avoid sheltering under isolated trees or open structures during such extreme weather. Relief measures and medical aid have been deployed in the worst-hit areas as the state grapples with the aftermath of this natural calamity.