Madhya Pradesh: Lightning strike on Ganesh pandal kills minor; 3 friends injured

INDORE: One minor was killed and three injured when lightning struck a Ganesh pandal in Pandhana area of Khandwa district on Thursday night. Four minor friends had taken shelter inside the pandal during the rain when the lightning struck.According to locals, the incident occurred shortly after the evening aarti. As rain began, a few children stayed back in the pandal to avoid getting wet and were preparing to leave once the rain subsided.Around 9 pm, lightning struck the pandal, tearing through the tent and hitting the children inside.The deceased has been identified as 17-year-old Suresh, son of Roopsingh Vasre. Three others, identified as Badal, son of Munna; Bisen, son of Chaman; and Bisen, son of Kailash, sustained burn injuries.All of them, aged between 16 and 18 years, belong to the tribal Barela community.Police said the victims’ families rushed them to Pandhana hospital immediately after the incident. While Suresh was declared dead, the three others were reported to be in stable condition. A case has been registered, postmortem was conducted, and the body was handed over to the family on Friday.