More than 90 die from lightning strikes in India in 2 days
File photo.
Digital Reporter
Friday, June 24, 2016, 5:17 PM - More than 90 people were killed by lightning strikes over a 2-day period in India this week, as annual monsoon rains pummeled the country.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the country saw a surge in lightning-related deaths. The eastern state of Bihar was the hardest hit, with 59 confirmed dead.
So far, 93 people have been killed and dozens more injured. Authorities say the death toll is likely to rise.
"When it was raining we immediately took shelter. It [the lightning bolt] hit us there, and then we fell unconscious. We could not understand what had happened. Then in the middle, when I regained consciousness, I realised that I had been hit by something," a man who was injured by a strike told Reuters.
While lightning strikes are common in India between monsoon season, which runs between June and October, authorities say the number of deaths this year is already unusually high.
Prior to 2005, India saw an average of 2,000 lightning-related deaths. By 2014 that number had climbed to 2,582, with many of the victims living in rural areas with open farm fields.
VIDEO: TOP 5 LIGHTNING FACTS:
