Four youths killed in lightning strike, 3 injured

Kozhikode: Four youths were killed and three others injured after lightning struck them at Kuranganchola hill near Shanthanpara in Mankada, Malappuram, on Tuesday.The deceased have been identified as Rahees, 20, son of Ali of Puthukudi House; Bahas, 18, son of Saithalavi of Koorimannil Puthanveetil; Siyad, 18, son of Aseez of Alikkamparambil House and Fahad, 22, son of Nizar of Karuthankuthu House. All are natives of Vellila.The injured are Roshan, 20, Ishhath, 19, and Salmanul Faris, 21. Faris and Ishhath have been shifted to a private hospital at Perinthalmanna. They were part of a seven-member group from nearby localities who had gone to the popular hilltop viewpoint adjoining a coconut grove at Pandallur hills. The lightning struck the group around 5.30pm.Passersby found six of the youths lying unconscious about 100 metres downhill from the road and rushed them to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital but four of them could not be saved.After being administered CPR, two of the injured informed rescuers that there had been seven persons in the group. A subsequent search led to the discovery of another youth who had slipped down the rock. He was rescued and brought to the hospital around 30 minutes later.One of the rescuers, Akhil Abraham, said he was on his way to his farm when he noticed the youths lying on the ground. "By then, an ambulance had arrived. Since there were six persons on the spot, two were taken in the ambulance while the others were shifted in jeeps, including mine," he said.Roshan, one of the injured, is the brother of the deceased, Fahad. Panchayat member Aneesh said Kuranganchola was a place frequently visited by youngsters during evenings for relaxation. MLA-elects Manjalamkuzhi Ali and M Rahmathullah along with Manjeri municipal chairman Vallanchira Abdul Majeed visited Manjeri Medical College Hospital after the incident.