Lightning Strike Kills Two Minors in Boudhagada

Two minors died in a lightning strike on Friday afternoon in Jhankarapada village under Manmunda police limits in Boudhagada district.

The victims were identified as 11‑year‑old Biswajit Mirdha of Jhankarapada and 17‑year‑old Charan Kumhar of Kirashira village.

Witnesses said heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning struck the area around 4 p.m. Both boys took shelter under a tamarind tree near their homes. A sudden lightning bolt hit the tree, killing them instantly.

Charan had been living in Jhankarapada Harijan Sahi to care for his elderly grandparents. Biswajit was a student of Sagada Government High School. Their sudden deaths shocked the entire region, leaving families and villagers devastated.

Residents gathered at the site and demanded immediate government assistance for the bereaved families. Villagers said the tragedy highlights the urgent need for awareness campaigns and protective measures against lightning strikes, which remain a recurring hazard in rural Odisha.

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Two casualties

The severe flooding has led to two deaths so far.

According to Kaohsiung police, a 73‑year‑old woman surnamed Huang (黃) reportedly tripped and fell into a drainage ditch while walking toward farmland with her husband at 5 p.m. Thursday, and was swept away by floodwaters. Her body was found downstream at 6:45 p.m.

On Friday, a woman who became trapped after driving her car into floodwaters was found dead near the vehicle in Zhubei, Hsinchu County, local authorities said.

According to local media reports, her husband reported that she was trapped in the floodwaters at around 9 a.m., and rescuers located the woman's car on Section 1 of Huanbei Road on Friday afternoon with its front end submerged, but she was not inside. They later discovered her lying face down nearby.

© Hsinchu County Fire BureauHsinchu County rescue workers wade through floodwaters in Zhubei on Friday during search operations for a vehicle stranded by flooding.

Southern Taiwan

Southern Taiwan bore the brunt of heavy rains that continued overnight Thursday, with rising waters overwhelming communities and leaving many residents stranded in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung County by morning.

Several residents in Tainan told CNA that floods began at around 2 or 3 a.m. Friday and represented the worst flooding they had experienced in many years.

Speaking to the media at a pumping station Friday, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said the city recorded more than 250 millimeters of rainfall within six hours and, along with a high tide, was responsible for the severe flooding.

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