Lightning strikes claimed five lives in West Bengal on Monday and one person drowned in the Sutunga river as heavy rainfall lashed the state. A state disaster management official said a seven-year-old boy was among the victims of the lightning strikes.
Other casualties were reported from Rajendrapur of Basirhat II, Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district, Basanti block of Charpara village and Namkhana block of Uttar Chandanpiri village.
The state’s meteorological department recorded a maximum rainfall of 43 mm in Kolkata until 5 pm on Monday. Authorities ordered the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s disaster management department to assess the situation as water-logging was reported in several low-lying parts of the city.
The weather official predicted more rainfall across the state within the next 48 hours and attributed the weather conditions to two depressions in the north-west Bay of Bengal and another in Assam and adjoining places of West Bengal.
Moderate rain with thunder has been forecast for several places including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Malda, North and South Dinajpur, Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, East and West Burdwan, Murshidabad, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas districts and East and West Midnapore, Jhargram districts.
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