Ranchi/Jamshedpur/Chatra/Deoghar: At least three persons were killed and five injured in lightning strikes in Chatra, Jamtara and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts on Saturday, officials said.In Chatra, a 25-year-old woman, identified as Geeta Devi from Upar Bairiyo village, died after being struck by lightning during heavy rain on Saturday evening. She was working at a culvert construction site on the under-construction bypass road when the incident occurred.In Jamtara, lightning claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy and injured three members of his family at Bhithra village under Karmatanr block on Saturday afternoon. Sohel Ansari, was walking towards a field with his father, Mehruddin Mian, and two brothers around 4 pm when strong winds and thunderstorms hit the area.In Seraikela-Kharsawan, 35-year-old Sanjay Devgam died and two family members were injured at Sandirdih village after lightning struck near a straw hut where they had taken shelter from the rain. His nine-year-old daughter, Muskan Devgam, and 60-year-old father, Milu Devgam, sustained burn injuries, police said.After a warm day with the maximum temperature touching 34°C, Ranchi received rain late on Sunday. The rain, accompanied by gusty winds, brought relief from the heat but caused waterlogging in several areas, including Harmu and other low-lying stretches, affecting vehicular movement.“The rain brought relief, but waterlogging on roads remains a concern. Vehicles moved slowly through accumulated water in several stretches,” said Reema Dash, a resident of Harmu.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast partly cloudy skies with chances of light to moderate rain or thundershowers at isolated places across the state. Maximum temperatures may rise by 2-3°C over the next three days, IMD said.
