Cow dung to the rescue for lightning-struck kids

The students of Hesalagarha Rajkiya Vidyalaya, a government-run school located in Angara block of Jharkhand’s Ranchi district, are yet ...

The students of Hesalagarha Rajkiya Vidyalaya, a government-run school located in Angara block of Jharkhand’s Ranchi district, are yet to get over the bolt from the blue that rocked this school on Friday afternoon.

More than 399 students were in the school when lightning struck. ‘‘Afterwards I found 15 students lying unconscious. I didn’t know what to do. I ran out and informed the people,’’ recalled Principal Sadarnath Mahato.

By the time doctors led by Devendra Kumar reached, villagers had provided them ‘‘first-aid’’. ‘‘We covered their bodies with cow dung,’’ said Ashok Bhokta, a resident.

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“Had they not been covered with dung, the scene would have been different,’’ said Kumar. Within a few hours, 13 of these boys gained consciousness and were taken home by parents.

As two students — Ashamani Tirkey and Pradeep Mahato — didn’t gain consciousness, their parents took them to private clinics. The villagers are angry with police for now visiting the site. After the teachers of the school submitted an application informing him about the incident, the Angara Block Development Officer Rajiv Ranjan provided Rs 500 to Kumar as aid.

Ranchi district JD-U president Banmali Mahato has demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation for the treatment of affected students.

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