Alipurduar, July 2 -- A worker died and several others were injured after being struck by lightning in the Buxa Forest area on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred in the Chipra Forest under the South Raidak Range of the Buxa Tiger Reserve, within Shamuktala Police Station limits.
Forest department officials said the forest was closed to the public on June 16 and since then, plantation and grassland restoration work has been ongoing. On Wednesday, around 80 workers from Chipra Forest village entered the area for routine work. Around noon, a sudden lightning storm struck. The workers couldn't find proper shelter and Tapan Rava (35) was hit directly and died on the spot. Several others were injured and later admitted to Alipurduar District Hospital. Forest officials rushed to the spot to assist with rescue and recovery. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the local village. Debashis Sharma, Deputy Field Director of Buxa Tiger Reserve (East), said: "This is a very tragic incident. We stand by the families of the deceased and injured.
As the death wasn't due to a wild animal attack, direct compensation from the Forest department is not applicable. However, we will coordinate with Disaster Management and the district administration to ensure
compensation is provided."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.