lightning kills elephants in Assam ! Sad !!

 

The film starts with Dhivakar and his family celebrating his birthday. A sudden lightning strike kills him and his son and burns them to death .. .. .. Thupparivaalan (Detective)  starring Vishal released in 2017 was an interesting movie  !    The film's narrative centers around Kaniyan Pongundran, a detective who starts investigating the disappearance of a kid's pet dog, and soon finds himself threatened by the criminal behind a much bigger conspiracy.

Sometimes when it rains, you get to hear the thunderstorms and see lightning. Lightning is the transient passage of electrical current between a cloud and either the surface of the earth, or another cloud, etc.  Lightning is one of the most beautiful displays in nature. It is also one of the most deadly natural phenomena known to man. With bolt temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and shockwaves beaming out in all directions, lightning is a lesson in physical science and humility.  It is common knowledge that lightning is generated in electrically charged storm systems, but the method of cloud charging still remains elusive.

Have earlier read that  more than 300 wild reindeer were killed by lighting in central Norway in what wildlife officials are calling an unusually large natural disaster. The Norwegian Environment Agency  released eerie images showing reindeer carcasses scattered across a small area on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The agency reported that 323 animals were killed, including 70 calves.

For an Insurer, Lightning is a peril and cause loss or damage. In India, the Standard Fire & Special Perils policy ~ a named Perils policy has ‘lightning’ included in the listed perils and hence loss or damage caused  by lightning is indemnifiable.

My heart melts on reading this ghastly incident – nearly  20 elephants are believed to have been killed by lightning strikes, according to examiners looking into the animals' deaths. Forest officials in the north eastern area of India discovered the bodies of the group of 18 clustered together in two groups. They suspect they died during a recent storm in the Nagaon district of Assam state.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a statement that he was concerned about the deaths of such a 'huge number of elephants'. Forest officials discovered around 18 elephant bodies clustered together in two groups – that moved the villages, who offered prayers and flowers to the dead elephants.  Amit Sahay, from the state's forest department, said: 'Four elephant carcasses were found at one spot and 14 others at another spot. 'The preliminary investigation revealed that the elephants could have been killed by lightning. Top officials of the forest department and veterinary doctors have been rushed to the spot.

Assam's Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya tweeted: 'Deeply pained by the death of 18 elephants last night due to massive thunderstorm under Kothiatoli Range in Nagaon' .  India is home to nearly 30,000 elephants, around 60 per cent of the wild Asian elephant population.  Wild elephants in the state have previously been victims of poaching, train-related accidents, poisoning and even electrocution, according to local media, but this large scale deaths have shaken people who are grieving the death of gentle pachyderms.      

Very sad to read this news – though photos are available in the media, am not posting any of them – the majestic tuskers here were pictured in Temple festival at Thirupunithura, Kerala earlier.

Sad!

With grief – S. Sampathkumar
14.5.2o21.