VELLORE/KRISHNAGIRI/PUDUCHERRY: Heavy downpour accompanied by lightning lashed Vellore, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Tiruchy and Puducherry on Wednesday. Two persons, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed and one injured when lightning struck in the Naickaneri hills near Ambur on Tuesday.
A heavy downpour lashed several villages for nearly an hour from around 4.30 pm on Tuesday and destroyed banana plantations in five villages in Ambur taluk, which recorded 15 mm of rainfall.
The deceased were identified as P Kumar (21) and M Ramamurthy (13) of a tribal village in Naickaneri hills. Kumar was riding a motorbike with Ramamurthy on the pillion. Following the sudden rain, the two took cover under a tree. A few minutes, later they were struck by lightning and died on the spot. A 40-year-old woman, Mallika, of Panankatteri village was struck by lightning when she was working on a farm land.
In Krishnagiri, rains killed about 5,000 chickens in two poultry sheds and also destroyed 2,000 plantain trees, besides damaging several buildings. In Tiruchy district too, strong gale-like winds flattened banana crops for the second time in 10 days, bringing distress to Anthanallur, Seerathope and Kuzhumani farmers. According to the the ryots, about 5,000 acres of plantations were destroyed. Cyclone cautionary warning signal, flag number 1, was hoisted at Puducherry and Nagapattinam ports on Wednesday.