Why lightning kills more people in India than any other natural disaster

On the afternoon of August 14, a group of around 15 friends set out from their village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district, to play a friendly hockey match in a neighbouring village. Their village, Tutikel, lies close to the main road that connects the district to the state’s capital, Ranchi, around 130 km away. The neighbouring village, Jhapla, lies in the interiors of the same block, around 7 km away.

Travelling on scooters and motorcycles, the group reached the playground in Jhapla at around 1.30 pm. But as they prepared to play, a light rain began to fall. A few players sought shelter under a jackfruit tree next to the playground, while others ran to a food stall set up especially for the match. Parras Dang and his brother Senan Dang were among the players who stood under the tree.

Then, lightning struck the tree.

“The last thing I remember before I went unconscious was holding the umbrella for my brother who was steering his scooter under the tree,” said Parras Dang.

Parras, his brother and six others collapsed on the ground as smoke began to rise from the tree’s branches. The damage that a lightning strike can do is immense – by some calculations, a bolt of lightning can...

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