Patna: Six people died and seven others sustained severe burn injuries following multiple incidents of lightning strikes across Banka district on Sunday. The tragedies occurred as sudden, severe thunderstorms lashed several parts of the district during paddy sowing.The most heart-rending tragedy unfolded in Khawa village under jurisdiction of Banka Town police station. A father and his seven-year-old son, who were working in the paddy fields, were struck by lightning and they died. The fatal incident sent shockwaves through the local farming community.Police said the tragedy occurred when Brahmdev Yadav (35), a farmer of Khawa village, had gone to work in his paddy fields. As it was Sunday and the school was closed, his son Prince Kumar also insisted on going to the fields with father. At first, Brahmdev refused, but yielded to his son’s insistence and took him along. In the afternoon, when both were working in the field, weather suddenly turned bad and thunder and lightning began along with heavy rain. Lightning struck the father and son directly.Police said the severe weather claimed four more lives in the district. Vinod Yadav, working in a paddy field in Gulaho village under Banka Town police station, was taken to hospital by relatives but was declared dead. His body was sent to govt hospital for the postmortem. Sarita Devi was struck during paddy transplantation at Lilawaran village, also under Banka Town police station area, and was declared dead at a hospital.In Amarpur block, Ajay Mahto, a farm worker transplanting paddy at Salempur Rai Bahiyar, was taken to Amarpur Referral hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. In Barahat block, farmer Sadhu Tanti died after lightning hit him while he was working in a field at Dafarpur village. Police sent the body to a govt hospital for the postmortem.Seven other people working in paddy fields suffered severe burn injuries in the lightning strikes. Local people rushed them to nearby healthcare facilities, where they are undergoing treatment, police said.
