Malda (WB), May 16 (PTI) At least 11 people were killed on Thursday afternoon after being struck by lightning in different places across Malda district of West Bengal, a government official said.

The district administration has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased, he said.

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"So far, 11 people have been killed due to lightning strikes. A number of injured people are being treated at various hospitals. Some of the injured are in critical condition," the official told PTI.

Three persons — Chandan Sahani (40), Raj Mriddha(16) and Manajit Mandal (21) — were killed in Malda's Sahapur area, while another person identified as Asit Saha (19) died in Gajol after he was struck by lightning while working in a mango orchard, he said.

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Eight-year-old Rana Sheikh in Manickchak's Mohammed Tola and a couple, Nayan Roy (23) and Priyanka Singha (20) of Harishchandrapur, also losted their lives due to lightning, the official added.

In Haddatola, lightning killed Atul Mandal (65) and Sheikh Sabrul (11) while Sumitra Mandal (45) lost her life in Mirdadpur, he said.

In Englishbazar's Milki, a man identified as Pankaj Mandal (23) was killed.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)