West Bengal: Lightning kills five in Malda

At least five people were killed and eight injured across Malda district after being struck by lightning during thundershowers, officials said on Friday.

Two persons were killed in Harischandrapur area of the district when lightning struck them, a district police official said. In Chanchol, one person was killed after being struck by a bolt of lightning during a thunderstorm. Elsewhere in the district, two more deaths were reported due to the lightning, the official said.

Eight persons suffered burn injuries due to lightning strikes in different parts of the district and are being treated at Malda Hospital. Two persons were killed in lightning in North Dinajpur district, a district official said. While the squall brought the mercury down in North Bengal, South Bengal continued to sizzle under sweltering heat with no northwester for the past several days.