12 people were killed as 61k lightning bolts occurred in Odisha in only two hours.

On Saturday, Odisha had a record 61,000 lightning strikes in less than two hours, leaving 12 people dead and 14 wounded, according to special relief commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu. The India Meteorology Department (IMD) has warned of harsh weather in the state till September 7, thus these strikes could not be ended by then.

Within the following 48 hours, a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal might become a low-pressure system, which would likely bring extensive rain to Odisha. According to an IMD bulletin, the rain is predicted to get heavier later in the week. The IMD added, “Yellow warning for heavy rainfall has been issued in most districts until September 7.”

According to the SRC, one person each from Angul, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri, as well as two from Balangir and four from Khurda district perished in Saturday’s lightning strikes. The SRC said, “In addition, eight cattle were also killed as lightning struck Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.”
Each of the deceased families would get an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 4 lakh, according to Sahu.