ROURKELA: Watching a football match turned fatal for three persons, including two minors, who were killed after lightning struck them in Birual village of Garjan Gram Panchayat (GP) under Brahmani Tarang police station of Sundargarh district on Sunday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses said during the course of the match, a sudden thunderstorm and lightning activity in Birual football ground forced the crowd to rush for shelter. Bisal Bilung (17) from Bonai block, Sunit Oram (16), and Santi Lakra (30) from Lathikata block took cover under a large tree in the vicinity. However, a lightning bolt hit the tree, critically injuring them.
They were immediately rushed to the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). But, they had succumbed on the way to the hospital. Panposh sub-divisional police officer Upasana Padhi said, “According to preliminary reports, the deceased were among the spectators and had sought refuge under the ill-fated tree when the lightning struck.”The bodies of the victims have been preserved at the RGH morgue for autopsy, which is scheduled for Monday, she added.
In October 2022, a minor boy and a youth lost their lives, with 35 others injured during a lightning strike at a rural football match in Nuagaon block. in August 2018, two football players were killed, and 10 others were injured in a lightning strike at Parba village in Simdega district, Jharkhand, with all the victims hailing from Sundargarh.
In June 2018, three youths lost their lives, and two others were injured in a lightning strike during a rural hockey match in Balishankara block of Sundargarh. These incidents serve as a grim reminder about the need for increased awareness and safety measures during outdoor events in regions susceptible to lightning storms, experts said.
Lightning disasters during football
October 2022: A minor boy and a youth killed, 35 others injured in Nuagaon block during a rural football match
August 2018: Two players killed, 10 others injured at Parba village of Simdega in Jharkhand; one deceased and all the injured belonged to Sundargarh
June 2018: Three killed and two others injured during a football match at Balishankara block of Sundargarh