Lightning kills eight farmers in Marathwada

AURANGABAD: Lightning claimed the lives of eight farmers in different parts of Marathwada on Tuesday evening, while several parts of the region witnessed unseasonal rain that is reported to have also damaged mango yield at several places.
A majority of Tuesday���s lightning victims belong to Beed district, followed by Latur and Osmanabad.
The farmers, including two women, were working in the fields or had taken shelter beneath trees when it
started raining and the lightning struck, killing them on the spot.
"The Beed victims have been identified as Ram Shivaji Savant (22), a resident of Savantwadi in Keij taluka, Baban Vaijinath Akuskar (35) a resident of Adas in Keij, Ankush Bapurao Bhoirat (55) and his daughter-in-law Anjana Dattatreya Bhoirat (25), both residents of Bangarpimpla in Georai taluka, Shaikh Gulab Shaikh Basheer (25), Jogaiwadi in Ambajogai and Vidyabai Kishan Dake (35) a resident of Katola in Beed taluka," said G D Khan, senior revenue officer at the divisional commissionerate here on Wednesday.
Sheshrao Kashinath Patil (30), a resident of Diggi in Omerga taluka in Osmanabad district was working in his farm when the lightning struck him, while Govind Devidas Jadhav (38), Nagthan in Ahmedpur of Latur district had taken shelter beneath a tree when he was struck. "In Aurangabad too cases of lightning occurred but there was no loss of life reported from the district," Khan said.
The unseasonal rains around 12.15 pm that lasted for 15 minutes, did however bring relief from the scorching heat. According to officials of the agriculture department, the quantum of damage to the mango crop is still being assessed.