At Dubda village in East Midnapore's Egra, farmer Aurobindo Bera, 40, was killed on the spot when lightning struck him, while his wife Mira was seriously injured. The couple were working at their agricultural plot when the accident happened. Mira was rushed to Egra Super Speciality hospital for treatment.
"The incident occurred when a group of farmers was running for cover at the onset of the sudden storm," said an eyewitness.
At Kanpur village in Potashpur station area, Ramkrishna Paikhara, 38, was killed under similar circumstances when farmers were working in an open field. While Paikhara was killed on the spot, his companions suffered injuries and were rushed to the block health centre for treatment.
In West Midnapore's Debra station area, two women were killed by lightning strikes while working in the fields. Mithu Singh, 31, was killed at Hathiberia village whereas Ruma Bera, 23, died at Sundarnagar.
The storm also caused severe waterlogging in parts of Tamluk town, with the town's district hospital being the worst hit.
All the wards, including the pharmacy, on the ground floor of the Tamluk district hospital were flooded waist-high. The rainfall also led to Tamluk and its surrounding areas remaining without power till noon.
Comment: On the same day 6 people were fatally struck in the state of Odisha while over in Nepal an individual died and 5 others were injured by a strike.