The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : 10 killed as lightning strikes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

10 killed as lightning strikes

Staff Reporter

GUNTUR: Ten persons died and eight others were injured in Guntur district on Saturday afternoon when lightning hit them at three different villages. Four persons died in Gurazala mandal, two in Bollapalli mandal, two in Karempudi mandal, and one in Piduguralla mandal.

While the entire district received heavy rain, gales swept through all towns and power got switched off for more than two hours from 5 p.m. and the BSNL landline network got disrupted in some towns. The Airtel, Cellular network stopped functioning from 5 p.m. The APSPDCL restored power in Guntur city at 7 p.m. in phased manner.

Traffic got jammed at several places in the district following road getting blocked as avenue trees got uprooted. The day began with clear sky and temperature reaching 39 degrees in the afternoon. By evening there were dark clouds all over the district and mandals received rainfall ranging from half an hour to one hour.

Those dead were identified as Venkatteswara Reddy and Anasuyamma (farmer couple) at Kachevaram in Karempudi mandal, Mutyalu, 28, at Chinakondrugundla village in Piduguralla mandal, Kolli Narasaiah and Kolli Venkaramana (brothers) at Moguchandrapalem in Bollapalli mandal; Senku Venkateswara Rao, 23, Chinaboina Sivamma, 22, Chinaboina Lakshmamma, 18, Battula Krishna, 23, of Gogulapadu in Gurazala mandal and Rayudu of Veerapuram Piduguralla. Eight other women were injured in the same village of Gurazala mandal.

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