At least 23 people died in Andhra Pradesh,yesterday after being struck by lightning that accompanied heavy rain due to the low pressure over the Bay of Bengal. The Chief Minister’s Office has confirmed the deaths. According to reports the deaths occurred in Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, Anantapur and Srikakulam districts. Most of the people died are either farmers or farm labourers working in the fields when lightning occurred.
Heavy rains lashed Andhra and Rayalaseema regions yesterday and aWomen cricketers of Andhra Pradesh and Tripura teams had a narrow escape when lightning struck a palm tree at the ACA cricket stadium in Perecharla in Guntur district. The friendly match between women teams of Andhra and Tripura was abandoned after the incident. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation and announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia for the kin of those killed by lightning.