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From July 17, 2021 (Shrawan 1, 2078 BS) to May 19, 2025 (Jestha 5, 2082 BS), the country recorded 1,118 lightning incidents affecting 1,607 families, said Roshni Kumari Shrestha, Joint Secretary at the NDRRMA. Nepal ranks fifth globally in lightning-related disasters, with high-risk zones identified in Jhapa, Udayapur, and Makwanpur districts.
Koshi Province recorded the highest number of lightning events - 295 incidents - resulting in 51 deaths, 84 injuries, and property losses amounting to Rs 16.045 million. Some 420 livestock also perished.
Lumbini Province reported 180 incidents, 54 deaths, 165 injuries, and Rs 34.9 million in damages. Fatalities from lightning in other provinces during the period include: Sudurpaschim (35), Madhesh (27), Bagmati (25), Gandaki (24), and Karnali (21). Karnali also reported the highest number of injuries at 207, followed by Sudurpaschim (158), Gandaki (84), Bagmati (82), and Madhesh (28).
Lightning is Nepal's second-deadliest natural disaster after floods, said Madan Sigdel, Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University's Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Most lightning strikes occur during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons.
"Eighty percent of lightning-related deaths happen during outdoor work," Sigdel said, stressing the need for public awareness and protective infrastructure. He added that damage from lightning can be reduced by up to 80 percent through timely precautions.
Three early-warning radars installed in Udayapur, Palpa, and Surkhet are currently out of service. Sigdel called for immediate repair and operation of the systems to enable one-hour advance warnings of lightning-prone areas.
(With input from RSS)
Comment: For the years between 2013 and 2019: 773 people killed by lightning in 7 years across Nepal