TMC activist dead, 25 injured in lightning strikes during rally in Bengal's Bankura

The incident occurred during a party rally addressed by its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at Indas

May 01, 2023 11:54 am | Updated 12:33 pm IST - KOLKATA

Seven of the 25 injured people were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition was serious, he said. File

Seven of the 25 injured people were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition was serious, he said. File | Photo Credit: PTI

A 40-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) activist was killed and at least 25 others were injured in the lightning strikes on April 30 in West Bengal’s Bankura district, police said. 

The incident occurred during a party rally addressed by its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at Indas. 

Saber Mallick, who participated in the rally on April 30, was taken to a hospital after the lightning struck a tree near the venue and was declared dead on arrival by doctors in the health facility, a police officer said. 

“Some TMC workers took shelter under the tree during the downpour. Mallick died and 25 others were injured after the lightning struck it,” the officer said. 

Seven of the 25 injured people were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition was serious, he said. 

“Our hearts go out to those affected by the lightning incident at Indas. We extend our condolences to the family of the deceased and will do our best to support them. We’re monitoring the situation and working with local authorities to provide medical assistance to the injured,” the party wrote on Twitter. 

TMC youth leader Debangshu Bhattacharya, who was addressing the rally when the incident occurred, rushed to the spot. 

“We are all in a state of shock. Our leader Abhishek Banerjee asked us to help the injured and the family members of the deceased. We will bear all medical expenses of the injured.”  

The rally at Indas was part of the party’s outreach programme, ‘Trinamooley Nabajowar’ (new wave in Trinamool), undertaken by Banerjee ahead of the panchayat polls. 

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.