Lightning strikes kill three in Telangana as rain batters districts, damages crops

Hyderabad: Telangana’s first full spell of monsoon-style rain brought with it not just relief, but tragedy. Lightning strikes during Thursday’s intense downpour killed three people across Sangareddy, Medak, and Siddipet districts – while farmers watched their fields and procurement centres go under water.

In Shahabad mandal of Ranga Reddy district, a woman named Soru Panami was struck by lightning in Mukta Guda village. A similar fate met 61-year-old Ratnamma in Nagireddypally village of Sangareddy. She’d taken shelter under a tree to escape the rain and thunder, but the bolt hit her directly. Died on the spot. Deputy Tehsildar Vara Prasad visited the village to gather details. Police registered a case.

Another death was reported from Dappur village in Nyalkal mandal – same district. A 15-year-old boy, Mohammed Sabir, also hiding under a tree, was killed instantly when lightning struck.

Beyond the fatalities, the damage was wide. Strong winds snapped power poles and uprooted trees, throwing traffic into disarray. In several spots, roads turned to rivers, and low-lying colonies ended up flooded.

Worst hit? The paddy procurement centres. Heavy rain swamped facilities across the three districts, soaking produce and halting operations – leaving farmers counting fresh losses. In Pamin village, also Ranga Reddy, a farmer’s two bulls were killed in another lightning strike.

Several parts of the state faced power outages due to damaged lines.