RANCHI: Three minors died in lightning strikes at two places in Jharkhand's Hazaribag on Tuesday, an official said.
In Salwar area, two persons died and 12 others were injured in a lightning strike while they were returning from a Rath Yatra procession, he said.
Eight of them suffered grievous injuries, he said. The incident took place around 4.45 pm along a stretch of National Highway-100 (Hazaribag-Bagodar Road).
"Two devotees were killed and 12 injured while they were returning from a Rath Yatra," Sub-Divisional Officer, Hazaribag Sadar, Vidyabhushan Kumar, told PTI.
Kumar said the injured have been taken to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag, and are being treated at its trauma centre.
The SDO said the deceased were identified as Sudhanshu Pandey (17) and Arun Kumar Gupta (16).
In another incident of a lightning strike, a 10-year-old boy lost his life in Keredari in the district, officials said.
Meanwhile, the weather department issued an alert for medium to severe thunderstorms in the state for the next three days from Tuesday.