Lightning kills woman, livestock

A lightning strike claimed the life of a 55-year-old woman and nearly 50 sheep and goats she was grazing in Ganagala village, Hoskote taluk, on Friday afternoon. The woman, identified as Rathnamma, had taken shelter from the rain under a tree, with her livestock. According to Manjunath, police inspector at Tirumalasetty Halli police station, the incident occurred within minutes. "Rathnamma was tending to her flock when it started raining.Seeking refuge under a tree, the unsuspecting woman and her cattle were struck by lightning, resulting in their demise," A case has been registered at the Tirumalasetty Halli police station, and revenue authorities have initiated the process of announcing relief measures for the family of the deceased .

According to the report, the woman was identified as Rathnamma from Gangala village, who took the livestock for feeding on Friday afternoon. Minutes after it started raining, Ratnamma took shelter under the tree and 50 sheep followed her. “Rathnamma did not know what was coming, and she was taking refuge under the tree as it was raining heavily. A lightning strike killed her, and animals were present under the tree. Everything happened within a few minutes of time,” a senior police officer was quoted as saying. A case has been registered at Tirumalashetty Halli police station and revenue officials are reportedly working to initiate compensation for Rathnamma’s family for her death. Bengaluru and surrounding locations saw sudden rains on Friday and Saturday, and light thunderstorms were observed in a few places. The rain is likely to continue in Bengaluru after May 7, and the city is expected to be drenched till May 19. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is already gearing up to face the rains as the monsoon is ahead. Bengaluru made headlines earlier for its civic apathy and loss of lives during the heavy rains.