Keonjhar: Every time the sky becomes overcast, scourge of lighting begins to haunt people in the district with the "bolt from the blue" steadily claiming lives here at periodic intervals. Some 89 human lives have been lost in the past three years due to lightning strike in the mineral-rich district.

Lightning accounts for 27 per cent of the total number of disaster deaths in the district, where other causes of disaster include fire, sunstroke, hailstorm, flood, cyclone, boat capsize, drowning and snakebite.

The Balasore district topped the list in the state in recording the highest lightning deaths at 130 followed by Mayurbhanj district (95) and Ganjam and Keonjhar districts (89 each).

Most of the lightning deaths have occurred during the months from May to September. Out of total 1,256 lightning deaths occurred in three years in the state, 1,069 deaths (about 85%) have occurred in these five months. No casualty due to lightning has been recorded between November and February.

The state government had on April 1, 2015, declared lightning deaths a "state-specific disaster". A compensation of Rs 4.00 lakh is paid to the next of kin of the deceased from the State Disaster Response Fund accordingly. Before April 2015, compensation for death due to lightning used to be paid from Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Keonjhar headquarters block of the district has registered 15 lightning deaths in past three years and it was the worst-hit pocket due to lightning. The lightning toll in other blocks are Ghasipura (11), Telkoi (10), Ghatagaon (8), Harichandanpur (8), Patana (8), Jhumpura (7), Anandpur (6), Barbil (5) and Hatadihi (5), Banspal (4), Champua (1) and Shorapara (1).