He said that out of 25 injured, seven were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition was critical. file | Photo Credit: PTI
A 40-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was killed and at least 25 others injured after being struck by lightning in West Bengal’s Bankura district on April 30, police said.
The incident happened during a rally addressed by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at Indus.
Sabir Mallick, who participated in the rally on April 30, was taken to the hospital after lightning struck a tree near the venue and doctors declared him brought dead, a police official said.
“Some TMC workers took shelter under trees during the rain. Mallick was killed and 25 others were injured in the lightning strike.
He said that out of 25 injured, seven were taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as their condition was critical.
“Our sympathies are with those affected by the lightning incident at Indus. We extend our condolences to the families of the deceased and will do our best to support them. We are monitoring the situation and working with local authorities to provide medical assistance to the injured.” the party wrote on Twitter.
TMC youth leader Debanshu Bhattacharya, who was addressing the rally at the time of the incident, reached the spot.
“We are all in a state of shock. Our leader Abhishek Banerjee asked us to help the injured and the next of kin of the deceased. We will bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured.”
The rally in Indus was part of the party’s outreach programme, ‘Trinamooli Nabajowar’ (New wave in Trinamool), which Banerjee had run before the panchayat elections.