A lightning strike killed one person and injured 22 others at a football tournament in Kumarbandh village, Jhargram district, West Bengal, on Friday evening, according to police. The victims — players and spectators — had taken shelter under a tarpaulin pitched beneath a tree when the bolt struck, turning a festive sporting event into a tragedy.

What Happened at the Ground

The incident took place during the first day of a two-day, 16-team football tournament organised to mark Vishwakarma Puja at Kumarbandh village, under the Lalgarh police station area. Play was halted mid-match when sudden heavy rain accompanied by lightning forced everyone off the field. Players and spectators gathered under a tarpaulin erected beneath a tree — a choice that proved fatal when a powerful lightning bolt struck the makeshift shelter directly.

Eyewitness Sagen Hansda recalled that the strike plunged the area into immediate darkness. 'When he regained his senses, he found most of those gathered lying on the ground,' according to reports, and he helped move victims from the waterlogged playground to safer ground before emergency responders arrived.

The Deceased and the Injured

The person killed was identified as Deepen Murmu, 19, a Class 11 student and resident of Kumarbandh village. Doctors at the Lalgarh Primary Health Centre declared him dead after the injured were rushed there following the strike. The condition of four others was described as critical; they were transferred to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. On instructions from the district administration, the remaining 17 injured were also shifted to the same facility, while one person continued treatment at the Lalgarh Rural Hospital.

Official Response

Manav Singla, Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, said police acted swiftly to rescue the victims and coordinate their transfer to hospitals. Officers from Lalgarh police station reached the site immediately after receiving the alert.

Local MLA Lakshmi Kanta Sau visited the hospital and met the injured. He stated that the state government had directed officials to ensure proper medical care and extend all necessary support to the affected families.

Context: Lightning Risk in Bengal

West Bengal records among the highest lightning fatality rates in India, particularly during the pre-monsoon and monsoon months of April through September. Jhargram, a largely forested district in the state's west, sees frequent thunderstorm activity during this period. Authorities have repeatedly advised citizens to avoid open fields and large trees during storms — guidance that the tournament crowds, caught off-guard by a sudden downpour, were unable to act on in time.

As the four critically injured receive care at Midnapore Medical College, district administration is expected to assess the situation and consider whether additional support measures are needed for the affected families.