Tragedy Strikes as Woman Dies from Lightning in Odisha

An 18-year-old woman, Sumitra Murmu, died after being struck by lightning while working in a paddy field in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. With heavy rainfall and lightning predicted to continue, the IMD has issued various weather warnings across multiple districts. The state recorded below-average rainfall from June to August.

An 18-year-old woman, Sumitra Murmu, was tragically killed by lightning in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, police confirmed on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Gudipokhori village this afternoon while she was working in a paddy field. Authorities have registered an unnatural death case, and her body was sent for a post-mortem examination.

Concurrently, the Bhubaneswar Regional Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall and lightning across several districts over the next three days. An orange warning, signifying 'be prepared,' has been issued for Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Nabarangpur districts.

A yellow alert, meaning 'be updated,' was also announced for Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Kendrapara, Nuapada, Cuttack, and Jagatsinghpur, expecting heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with lightning. From June 1 to August 28, Odisha reported an average rainfall of 787.6 mm, below the normal anticipation of 884.2 mm. Malkangiri saw excessive rain, 19 districts recorded normal rainfall, while the remaining 10 were deficient.

(With inputs from agencies.)