Lightning strike kills 3 farm workers in Assam’s Lakhimpur, one critical

Dibrugarh: Three people were killed and one critically injured after lightning struck a group of farm workers at Debera Doloni in Rangsali village of Lakhimpur district. The deceased have been identified as Saul Horo, 60, Jackson Kerketta, 52, and Jayanti Toppo, 43.

According to reports, Saul Horo and Jackson Kerketta were working in their paddy field when Jayanti arrived with lunch at around 1.30pm on Friday.

The trio were struck by lightning suddenly, and they died on the spot.Family members alleged that the victims could not be shifted for treatment in time due to the poor condition of the village road, which delayed the arrival of an ambulance. The injured was rushed to a nearby hospital, and his condition remains serious.The incident marks the second fatal lightning strike in Lakhimpur district within a month. On June 7, Jatin Gogoi, 75, died after being struck by lightning while working in his paddy field in Bihpuria.The deaths come amid a relentless spell of severe weather battering Assam and the northeast. The India Meteorological Department has issued fresh alerts for thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rainfall in several parts of Assam. Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious, avoid open fields during thunderstorms and follow official weather advisories.Officials have urged farmers and field workers to seek shelter immediately upon signs of an approaching storm, warning that open agricultural land offers no protection from lightning strikes.