Lightning strikes down two in South Gujarat

SURAT, July 8: Two persons of Mandvi and Uchhal talukas of the district died after lightning struck them, as second spell of monsoon lashed the region. All parts of South Gujarat, including Surat city received rains in the past 24 hours.

Sarla Chhotu Chaudhary 40, a woman residing at Maretha village of Mandvi taluka, died on the spot when lightning struck her while she was working on a farm in the village. In another case at Juni Kaachhli village, Raghu Motiya Gamit, a villager of Khedapur of Uchhal taluka, also died on the spot when lightning struck him in an open field. A case registered in the Uchhal police station said that he had taken out his buffaloes for grazing on Wednesday evening when the mishap took place.

One Ganpat Bhikha Vanjhara 11 also died early on Wednesday morning when he received an electric shock from a wet wire at Amroli. The police have registered cases under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the respective police stations.

Meanwhile, in the second round of monsoons that lashed the city since Wednesday night, the city received 4 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on Thursday with 218.8 mm rainfall being registered until now. All talukas of the district also received moderate rainfall during the past 24 hours while more rainfall has been predicted for Friday.