A 26-year-old farmer died after lightning struck his family’s hut in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh, early Tuesday morning. His wife managed to pull their two children to safety but could not save her husband from the flames.
Veersingh Adivasi lived with his family in a farm hut in Silanagar village under Amola police station. The family had finished dinner on Monday night and gone to sleep around 9 p.m. Around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, a powerful lightning bolt struck the hut, igniting it instantly.
“Lightning struck a member of the tribal family, causing him to fall unconscious. After that, the hut caught fire, and he died in the flames,” Saligram Kushwaha, Sarpanch Pratinidhi (Sarpanch Representative) of Gram Panchayat Karera and District Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party, confirmed the incident.
Reportedly, by Amarujala, the lightning strike was heard several kilometers away. People arrived and helped extinguish the fire. Police reached the scene around 10 a.m., took custody of the body, and sent it for a post-mortem examination.
The same day, another lightning death occurred in Chhatarpur district. According to Dainik Bhaskar, Lakhan Lodhi, 25, was returning from his field in Pathia village under the Saffron police station when lightning struck him. Family members said the weather changed suddenly, and thunder accompanied the strike. He died on the spot.
Ravindra Kumar Choudhary, Collector of Shivpuri district, did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment. This story will be updated if he responds.
Earlier, in September 2025, three Hawk Force jawans were injured when lightning struck a bamboo bush near their tent in Borwan forest under Kiranpur police station in Balaghat district, according to reports. Head Constable Devendra and Constables Chhatrapal and Ujjwal sustained burn injuries during an anti-Naxal operation.
How Severe Is the Problem
Madhya Pradesh has recorded the highest number of lightning-related deaths in India between 2014 and 2025, with 3,496 fatalities, according to the Annual Lightning Report 2024โ25. The report was prepared by the Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department and the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Bihar recorded 3,041 deaths during the same period, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 2,923.
Over the past six years, Madhya Pradesh has averaged 442 lightning-related deaths annually, according to the report. The state recorded 496 deaths in both 2021 and 2022, 429 in 2020, 400 in 2019, 381 in 2018, and 452 in 2017. Preliminary 2023 data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows 397 deaths.
Why Madhya Pradesh Has Such High Deaths
Dr. Sunita Verma, Associate Professor at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development at Banaras Hindu University and author of “The major lightning regions and associated casualties over India,” explained the reasons behind the high death toll.
“The high casualties in Madhya Pradesh are due to the lack of an effective early warning system and unsafe sheltering practices among the rural populace, particularly farmers. Most fatalities occur when individuals seek refuge under trees during thunderstorms, not realizing the increased risk,” Dr. Verma said.
She added that the state experiences significant cumulonimbus cloud formation, which is prone to lightning activity. “The absence of regular warning systems and public awareness programs contributes to the high number of lightning-related deaths. The government needs robust mitigation strategies, including timely warnings and accessible educational campaigns, especially in rural and vulnerable areas,” Dr. Verma said. According to research findings, the state’s high population density of about 236 people per square kilometer increases the likelihood of casualties. While flat terrain typically sees fewer lightning strikes than hilly areas, the dense population elevates the risk.
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