Guwahati, May 17: At least 10 people have lost their lives, and four others have been injured in lightning strikes across Odisha.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange alert for several districts, warning of continued thunderstorms and lightning strikes over the next two days.
The fatalities occurred in separate incidents of Nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) thunderstorms with lightning strikes across different parts of the state.
According to reports, three people died in Koraput, two in Ganjam, two in Jajpur, two in Dhenkanal, and one in Gajapati districts.
In Koraput, the storm claimed the lives of three individuals, including an elderly woman, Burudi Mandinga, 60, and her 18-year-old granddaughter, Kasha Mandinga, from Pordiguda village. Another victim was Ambika Kashi, a resident of Kumbharaguda village.
In Ganjam, a young woman died at Belaguntha in Bhanjanagar, and a minor lost their life in Kabisuryanagar. In Dhenkanal, a woman died in Kusumandia village, and a young man succumbed to a lightning strike in Kabera village.
In Jajpur, two minors died in the Burusahi locality. Gajapati district reported one death and four injuries in Mohana and R. Udayagiri blocks.