Chhattisgarh health dept issues lightning safety advisory amid monsoon fatalities

RAIPUR: With lightning-related deaths reported from different parts of Chhattisgarh following the onset of monsoon, the state health department on Tuesday issued a public advisory urging people to follow safety precautions during thunderstorms.The department advised people to avoid taking shelter under trees, staying in open fields, on hilltops or near water bodies during lightning and instead move to a concrete building or a closed four-wheeler. It also cautioned against handling metal objects, agricultural tools or standing near electric poles during thunderstorms.Officials said those caught in the open should crouch with their feet together instead of lying flat on the ground to reduce the risk of injury.The advisory also clarified that it is safe to touch a person struck by lightning and urged people to immediately shift the victim to a safe place, call the 108 ambulance service and administer CPR, if trained, until medical help arrives.The health department appealed to citizens to closely follow weather warnings issued by the IMD and district administrations during the monsoon season to minimise casualties.