Adilabad: Lightning strikes during a sudden bout of unseasonal rain left six people dead across Adilabad district on Thursday, just as farmers were gearing up for the sowing season. The back-to-back fatalities have devastated entire communities and exposed the grim risks many rural families face.
The deadliest strike happened in Gadiguda mandal’s Pippiri village. Fourteen people—farmers and daily wage workers—were planting maize when the skies turned. As thunder cracked and rain poured down, they huddled under a makeshift wooden shelter. A lightning bolt hit it directly.
Four were killed on the spot: Pendoor Madar Rao (45), Sanjana (22), Mangam Bhimbai (40), and Sidam Rambai (45). Ten others were injured, some seriously. They were rushed first to the primary health centre in Jhuri, then shifted to RIMS Hospital.
Elsewhere, two women farmers also died in separate incidents. Nandini (30) was working in a field in Sangidi, and Sunitha (35) was sowing seeds in Sonkas. Both were struck by lightning and died instantly. Family members said the women had left home before dawn, praying for a good harvest.
In Utnoor mandal’s Kummaritanda village, lightning struck a cattle shelter, injuring three members of the same family—Bokan Dhanraj (27), Nirmala (36), and Tokan Krishnabai (30). Around 15 others were inside but escaped unharmed.
In another incident in Bandlanagapur, Tamsi mandal, lightning hit the gopuram of a local Ramalayam temple. It caused minor damage but no injuries.
The string of deaths has rattled farming communities and reignited calls for stronger lightning alert systems and better protection for field workers during unpredictable weather.
