Lightning, drowning kill 14 in Maha, CM's ex-gratia for temple tragedy victims

Mumbai, April 10 The ongoing unseasonal rains and hailstorms sporadically lashing different parts of Maharashtra claimed at least 13 lives in lightning related deaths and one due to drowning in the past 48 hours, officials said here on Monday.

In the worst single tragedy, 7 persons were killed at Parasgaon village of Akola late on Sunday where a lightning bolt felled a 150-year-old neem tree on a tin shed at the Babuji Maharaj Sansthan ashram.

At least four dozen devotees participating in the prayer ceremonies were trapped underneath but most were rescued and the bodies of four deceased were recovered early on Monday, and 3 died later during treatment in hospital.

Another 23 have been rushed to nearby hospitals and admitted for varying injuries including 2 described as serious.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde this afternoon announced compensation of Rs 400,000 to the deceased victims' kin, and free medical treatment for all the injured.

Besides, Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Nandurbar, Parbhani and Pune have reported one death each, mainly farmers working in the fields, owing to lightning hits.

One person was drowned in flash floods triggered by torrential rain that was witnessed in Nashik on Sunday, said the officials.

Additionally, scores of animals have also been killed or hit in these lightning strikes as the sporadic inclement weather wreaks disasters in different regions of the state since the past few weeks.

Many districts have suffered massive agriculture damage due to hailstorms, playing havoc with standing crops, especially of mangoes and other fruits, vegetables, etc.

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