By Nayak Paudel
Kathmandu, Apr. 18: Over the past two days -- Thursday and Friday -- 4 incidents of lightning in different parts of the country claimed three lives and injured 10 others.
The daily disaster bulletin issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Saturday showed that eight such incidents left six individuals injured on Friday, and sparked several incidents of fire which damaged properties.
In Udaypur, three members of a family -- 41-year-old father, 38-year-old mother and their 11-year-old son, as well as a 52-year-old man in Baglung, a five-year-old girl in Myagdi and a 93-year-old elderly in Syangja -- got injured in the incidents on Friday.
The weather conditions induced by rain, thunder, strong wind and lightning also led to fire in three different places. The lightning caused a short circuit at a house in Baglung, destroying property worth Rs. 500,000. Likewise, 1,200 chicks and 50 sacks of poultry feed were reduced to ashes in the fire triggered by lightning at a house in Ishworpur Municipality in Sarlahi. It also caused short circuit at a house in Sunsari, resulting in fire. However, no fatality was reported there.
A 60-year-old woman from Ward No. 8 in Shadananda Municipality in Bhojpur died after lightning struck her house. The woman, who had sustained injuries, was rushed to the Primary Health Centre at Dingla, died during treatment.
Likewise, a nine-year-old girl from Ward No. 6 in Chhathar Rural Municipality in Tehrathum died after being struck by lightning at her own home, as did a 45-year-old man and a woman from Ward No. 2 and 3 respectively in Tarakhola Rural Municipality in Baglung.
Similarly, hit by lightning, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl in Tehrathum were left with injuries.
Similarly, a 50-year-old woman from Ward No. 2 in Sirijangha Rural Municipality in Taplejung also got injured. She has been undergoing treatment at Jhapa-based Birta City Hospital.
The data from the NDRRMA show that 70 people lost their lives and 247 sustained injuries in 247 lightning incidents last year (April 13, 2020 to April 13, 2021).
According to the government officials overseeing disaster-related incidents, the months of April and May are the peak lightning season.
Talking about recent incidents, on March 30, a 58-year-old woman from Ward No. 6 in Khijidemba Rural Municipality in Okhaldhunga died after being struck by lightning.
Similarly, on April 8, three individuals from Sankhuwasabha, Sunsari and Okhaldhunga were injured in such incidents, as were a 16-year-old girl in Rasuwa on April 9 and a 23-year-old woman in Gulmi on April 13.
According to the NDRRMA, everyone needs to follow a host of safety measures to keep the adverse impact of lightning at bay. While in most cases, bolt of lightning finds its way straight to the ground, sometimes it reaches indoors, inflicting damage there too, it added.
“Most importantly, everyone should stay indoors when the weather turns violent, combined with rain, wind and lightening. However, on rare occasions, lightening inflicts injury or even kills people staying indoors. One must, therefore, be very cautious,” said Anil Pokhrel, chief executive at NDRRMA.
There are a few major precautions one should take if one is to stay safe from the impact of lightening. For one, during thunderstorm and lightening, one must not have any contact with water (bathe or wash dishes) because it can travel through a building’s plumbing. Two, use of electronic equipment connected to the AC mains should be avoided.
Three, since corded phones are unsafe, their use should be shunned. Four, because the current induced by lightning can travel through metal wires or bars in concrete walls or floors, one should avoid lying on concrete floors or leaning against the concrete walls.
“It is best not to look outside by opening doors and windows or come to railings or verandah when there is lightning. People can also equip their houses with earthing system as it allows the lightning to discharge into the ground,” said Pokhrel.
According to Pokhrel, the local levels must raise awareness about safety measures and inform people about the dangers of lightening.
Nepal government has nine lightning detection centres across the country: in Tumlingtar, Biratnagar, Simara, Bhairhawa, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Surkhet and Dhangadi. These were established to generate reliable data on lightning in an attempt to minimize losses of lives and properties.
“The lightning detection centres collect data for a proper study on the occurrence of lightning. Enough data can help us analyse the pattern of lightning and make our weather prediction more accurate in the future,” said Bikram Shrestha Zoowa, information officer at Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
However, Zoowa informed that they have only a handful of data because the centres came into operation only a couple of years ago.
The Meteorological Forecasting Division has stated that the present weather phenomena accompanied by thunder, strong wind, lightning and light rains will continue in many parts of the country for a few more days.