VISAKHAPATNAM/VIZIANAGARAM:Unexpected thundershowers with lightning claimed two lives, while three others were injured and one missing in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts Thursday evening.
In the tragic incident at HB Colony of the city, a six-year-old girl, Athidi, who was returning from tuition, accidentally slipped and fell into a drain and went missing. She was about get into the car when she slipped and fell over. Inspector of MVP zone Vidyasagar said that due to the heavy rain, Athidi could not notice the drain as water flooded the area. Some locals who noticed the incident rushed to the spot and called the police. The six-year-old had been staying with her grandparents at HB Colony. Her parents, both software employees, live in Bangalore.
The locals and the little girl’s grandparents reached the spot, some 100 metres from Krishna College, and are searching desperately for her along with the police when the last reports came in.
The locals blamed GVMC for leaving the drain uncovered. Some of the locals alleged that though they had reported about the uncovered drain, the GVMC turned a deaf ear. Rain coupled with strong winds lashed the city for almost an hour Thursday evening. Yendada and Zoo Park area also witnessed heavy rain.
In another incident in Vizianagaram district, two persons died and three were injured in lightning at Kallikota village of Komarada mandal Thursday. The deceased have been identified as K Gairamma (30) and Durga Rao (42). Sources said that five villagers of Kallikota village went to fetch water from the Jhanjavathi river in the evening. Gairamma and Durga Rao died on the spot when lightning struck them all of a sudden, while the other three fell unconscious. The locals shifted them to the area hospital at Parvathipuram. Their condition is said to be stable.