Lightning strike kills three; huts, poles destroyed by winds

Ballari: Three people were killed by lightning strike in Ballari strike, and other deaths have also been reported from Ballari, Sandur and Hosapete taluks. Gusty winds for the past 48 hours have claimed lives and property all over the district, leading to widespread destruction. In Hosapete and Hagari Bommanahalli taluks, close to 150 houses and huts, horticultural and agricultural crops including mango, banana, sapota and paddy have been destroyed in approximately 248 hectares of land.

Five high-tension power transmission towers fell near Bannigol village in Hagari Bommanahalli taluk on Friday. Sources from the Gulbarga Electric Supply Company (GESCOM) said that over 500 electrical poles and 120 transformers were damaged due to the winds in Ballari, Koppal and Raichur districts. Officials have sent a report seeking approval for restoration work and a supply of 1000 poles as buffer stock.