Lightning strikes twice

MUMBAI, Sept 27: Two lightning strikes and two freak road mishaps left six people dead in the city in the last 24 hours. Two persons - a ...

MUMBAI, Sept 27: Two lightning strikes and two freak road mishaps left six people dead in the city in the last 24 hours. Two persons 8211; a seven-year-old boy and a 50-year-old man 8211; died and another person was injured seriously when lightning struck twice at the Dadar-Mahim Chowpatty late this evening.

Police said a 50-year-old man, yet unidentified, out on a evening stroll, was struck by lightning around 6.30 pm near Park Club at Dadar Chowpatty. He was rushed to the KEM Hospital, but was declared dead before admission. Thirty-year-old Anthony Fernandes, who was nearby, was seriously injured. Doctors at the KEM hospital said he has suffered more than 30 per cent burns.

Within seconds of the first strike, lightning struck again, this time on the Mahim side of the beach, near Hinduja Hospital, killing seven-year-old Vimal Anil Sharma, who was accompanied by his parents.

According to Dr Shyamala, Director, Weather Bureau, thundershowers are a common phenomenon towards the end of September and occur underunstable weather conditions due to high heat, humidity and wind flow, she said.The two road mishaps too didn8217;t give their victims any time to escape. In both the incidents the victims were asleep when the accidents happened.

In the first mishap, three people were killed in Goregaon when a tempo ploughed into a hut, killing everyone asleep inside. Goregaon police said the incident occurred around 3 am near Wheet Bhatti8217; along the Western Express Highway when the driver of the tempo MH04 S 5384 lost control and rammed into the hut.

The dead have been identified as Dinesh Kallu Prasad Yadav, Dharmendra Gupta and Adesh Kumar Yadav. The tempo driver, Prakash Arote, has been arrested and charged with reckless driving.

In the second incident, a 36-year-old woman Suman was crushed under a reversing truck near Wadi Bunder under the jurisdiction of Dongri police station early this morning. Suman was sleeping on the pavement near Central Railway Colony when the truck crushed her. Her companion Moosa IssacSheikh 35 was seriously injured and has been admitted to a nearby hospital. The truck driver, Harishchandra Khatyal 22, has been arrested and charged with reckless driving.