Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government said Saturday that 1,621 people have been killed due to lightning strikes in the last four years. The figures were revealed Saturday in a written reply to the Odisha Legislative Assembly by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marandi. He said that the deaths happened since 2017-18. He informed that the next of the kin of the deceased persons were paid compensation of up to Rs 4,00,000.
Mayurbhanj district recorded the maximum lightning deaths at 161, followed by Ganjam (123), Keonjhar (119) and Balasore (109).
Seventy-three persons were injured in lightning strikes in the last four years. Most of the injuries were reported from the Malkangiri district where 12 people were wounded, Marandi said.
On the measures taken to prevent deaths due to lightning strikes, the minister said the government has signed an agreement with Earth Networks. Eight lightning detection sensors have been set up in Keonjhar, Bolangir, Berhampur, Jeypore, Rourkela, Bhubaneswar and Panikoili so that people could be warned, he said.
These sensors have the capability of predicting lightning strikes within a range of 200–250 km, Marandi added.