Two persons were killed by lightning in East Midnapore’s Mahisadal early on Wednesday while drawing in their catch of hilsa from the Rupnarayan river.

The deceased, Samir Pal, 35 and Biswanath Bhuniya, 25, were part of a group of four. Milan Bhuniya, 30, Biswanath’s younger brother, and Sheikh Faruk, 42, are undergoing treatment at Tamluk district hospital and Mahisadal block hospital, respectively. Biswanath and Samir reportedly died on the spot.

“The tragedy comes after the inclement weather began last Monday,” said district disaster management official, Mrityunjay Haldar, noting that flooding that had been triggered by the overflowing Kansabati and Keleghai rivers on Monday was exacerbated on Wednesday.

The youths who had gone fishing amid a lull in the storm were not fishermen by profession. All were idol makers who had a few days’ break from Puja preparations, owing to the monsoon.

“We live right by the river and my brothers have always been used to trying their luck during the hilsa season,” said youngest brother Haripada Bhuniya, 15.

“This is fishing season for average citizens. There were several others along the bank when the incident occurred,” said Mahisadal panchayat samiti member Dipali Bhowmik, adding that “heavy rain” had commenced by dawn on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, rain-related woes in Patashpur worsened. The Telegraph had reported on Tuesday how flooding in the Keleghai and Kansabati had displaced lakhs and damaged innumerable homes. The residents of the area gheraoed panchayat officials who were in the area to survey the damage to dykes.

The protesters said they had also emailed irrigation minister Saumen Mahapatra regarding an immediate solution to the flooding.

“Our district magistrate brought this development to the notice of the state chief secretary during a meeting today,” said a district official, adding the irrigation department had verbally informed district officials that “the repairs would take time owing to persistent flooding”.