Five killed in lightning after 'unseasonal' rain hits Maharashtra

Tragedy struck the north Maharashtra and Marathwada regions as five farmers lost their lives in lightning strikes between Sunday and Monda. According to TOI reports. Two farmer fatalities were reported in both Nashik and Nandurbar districts on Sunday, with an additional incident in Hingoli on Monday. Nashik and Jalgaon also recorded five and three livestock deaths, respectively, while Marathwada reported 32 cattle casualties.

In Nashik district's Baglan taluka, 35-year-old Suresh Thakre lost his life when lightning struck him at 5 pm while he was working in his field. In Niphad taluka, 65-year-old Subhash Matsagar succumbed to a lightning strike at 3.30 pm while returning home from his field. In Nandurbar, the victims were identified as 23-year-old Daulat Padvi and 17-year-old Sapna Thakre. Additionally, 32-year-old Raju Shankar Jaybhaye from Hingoli's Mauje Chimegaon village fell victim to a lightning strike around 3 am on Monday. According to reports, Officials in Nashik district have announced plans to expedite relief proposals for the affected farmers' families. While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued no warnings for Nashik on Tuesday, a yellow alert has been issued for Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the toll from rain and lightning-related incidents reached 29 by Monday evening. Unseasonal rains claimed 20 lives by 11 pm on Sunday. The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) reported that 27 of the casualties resulted from lightning strikes alone, surpassing the state's annual average for such fatalities.