Mandal: Two farmhands died and three others were injured as lightning struck them at Balaghabhirkapada and Nuagaon areas of this undivided panchayat near Jaypatna in Kalahandi district Thursday .
The deceased were Rahas Bag (45) of Balaghabhirkapada and Abhimanyu Rout (23) of Nuagaon. The injured, Jaladhara Pujari, Debaki Pujari and Yudhisthir Majhi, were working with Abhimanyu. They were rushed to the Kalampur community health center (CHC).
Sources said Rahas had been to his farmyard to cover his harvested paddy with polythene sheets as rain started at about 10.30am. Lightning struck him while he was working in his farmyard. Abhimanyu was also working in his farm land when lightning struck him. He was rushed to a Junagarh hospital, but this did not help. The revenue inspector (RI) of Mandal inspected the sites.