Kollam: A woman and her five-year-old son sustained burn injuries after being struck by lightning inside their home at Nedumpana in Kollam district on Monday. The child is in critical condition, and both have been admitted to the SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The injured have been identified as Sreedevi, 28, wife of Ajith, and their son Adidev, five. They are residents of Ajith Bhavan at Ugramkunnu in Ward 10 of the Nedumpana panchayat.
The incident occurred at around 2 pm. Sreedevi, Adidev, her two other children and her mother-in-law, Nandini, were sitting in a room at the front of the house and having lunch. Sreedevi and Adidev later went into the kitchen, where the lightning strike occurred. Hearing their cries, Nandini and the other children rushed to the kitchen and found Sreedevi and Adidev lying on the floor. Neighbours also reached the house after hearing the commotion.
Adidev suffered burns across his body, while Sreedevi sustained burns to her abdomen. The two were initially taken to the Nedumpana TB Hospital for first aid and were later shifted to Parippally Medical College Hospital. As the child’s condition was critical, doctors advised that he be moved to SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Sreedevi was also taken there along with her son.
The lightning strike damaged a wall of the house and the well. Switchboards reportedly exploded, and electrical wiring was burnt. Rain began in the Ugramkunnu area around 12.30 pm. Although the rain eased by around 2 pm, thunder and lightning continued to be intense, according to reports. Panchayat member Nizamol said a house in the same area had also been struck by lightning a few days earlier.
After learning about the latest incident, panchayat member Nizamol reached the spot and contacted KSEB officials and the village officer to arrange the necessary follow-up measures.
