Six die in lightning strikes in Telangana

Six people died and three others were injured when lightning struck them in two separate incidents in Jogulamba Gadwal and Nirmal districts of Telangana on Wednesday, police said.

The deceased were agricultural labourers and it was raining when the incidents occurred, they said. Lightning struck six people when they were standing under a tree in Aiza mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, leading to death of three persons and injuries to three others. The injured were shifted to hospital, police said. In another incident reported under Pembi Police Station limits in Nirmal district, three persons, including a man and his wife, died on the spot in a lightning strike when they were standing under a shed near an agriculture field.

Rain catches citizens off-guard

Moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of the city on Thursday evening, throwing life out of gear. Several areas, including Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Sheikhpet, Uppal, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, LB Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, Hayatnagar, Shamirpet, Amberpet, and Abdullapurmet in Medchal-Malkajgiri district witnessed heavy downpours.

Traffic was severely disrupted, particularly on the Hayathnagar–Vijayawada highway, due to waterlogging. Several low-lying areas were inundated, while drainage lines overflowed, causing flooding in localities such as Yousufguda, Madhuranagar, Ameerpet, SR Nagar, Erragadda, Sanathnagar, Jubilee Hills, and Banjara Hills. Motorists faced severe difficulties navigating submerged roads.

Meanwhile, Medak district was battered by torrential rain, with 7 cm recorded in just two hours. The fresh spell compounded the woes of residents who were still reeling from recent downpours. Many colonies and low-lying areas went under water again, forcing floodwater into houses and disrupting traffic along the Medak–Hyderabad National Highway. Vehicles were stranded as water stagnated near the town’s Welcome Board, leaving commuters in distress.