Lightning kills 19 on a single day in Andhra

Guntur: In a freak case, 19 people were killed when lightning struck them on Sunday in Andhra Pradesh. The women's cricket teams of Andhra Pradesh and Tripura had a narrow escape in Guntur where a fire-bolt struck a tree next to the ground they were having a practice match. This is the first time in the state's recent history that so many people have been killed by lightning on a single day. Nellore district bore the brunt of nature's fury with six deaths, followed by Prakasam and Krishna with four each. Three deaths were reported from Guntur and two from East Godavari as the southwest monsoon, which had been playing truant so far, turned vigorous because of low pressure, bringing heavy rains.