Lightning strike kills 2 taking shelter under tree in Balrampur

Raipur: Two men were killed after lightning struck a tree under which they had taken shelter from heavy rain in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district on Thursday, police said.The incident took place in Kandari village, where the deceased were identified as Arjun Ram (30) and Sanjay Paikra (42), both residents of the village, they said.According to police, the weather deteriorated suddenly with heavy rain and thunderstorms. The two men stood beneath a tree to escape the downpour when lightning struck the spot, killing them on the spot, officials said.Villagers rushed to the scene after the incident and informed the police, they said.A team from Chando police station reached the village and initiated an investigation, police said.Chando SHO Devendra Singh Tekam urged people not to take shelter under trees during thunderstorms and advised them to move to concrete buildings or other safe shelters during lightning activity.