Farmer dies in lightning strike in Satara, two drown in Kolhapur district

Kolhapur: A 65-year-old farmer from Tondale village in Man taluka was killed when a bolt of lightning struck amid fierce unseasonal rain that battered parts of Satara district on Thursday night. Besides, two lives were lost in separate drowning accidents in Kolhapur district.Man and Khatav talukas, both drought-prone regions, received intense rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. "Several areas, including Pusegaon, Kaledhon, Khatav, Vaduz, Jamb, Jakhangaon, Loni, Nagache Kumthe, Ganeshwadi, Aundh, Daruj, Darjai, Vetne and Bhushangadb, witnessed heavy showers that caused extensive damage to orchards, standing crops and fodder, resulting in significant losses for farmers. Waterlogging was reported at multiple locations on roads in Pusegaon and Vaduz, triggering panic among residents," an official from the Satara district disaster management team, said.The official said the deceased, identified as Lala Daji Jadhav (65), had gone to his farmland on Thursday. "After 5pm, heavy rain along with lightning began. Jadhav was suddenly struck by lightning while working in his field and died on the spot," the official said.In Kolhapur, a 21-year-old engineering student, Abhishek Babasaheb Kamble, of Battis Shirala in Sangli district, drowned in the Dudhganga river near the Kalammawadi dam on Thursday evening. Kamble had visited the area for tourism along with four college friends. While they were swimming in the river, he was swept away by strong currents. After an overnight search operation, his body was recovered on Friday afternoon.Police have registered an accidental drowning case at the Radhanagri police station. Investigations revealed that the group had visited the dam site without informing their families. Officials also noted that this was the sixth drowning incident reported at the Dudhganga river near the Kalammawadi dam.In the second incident, Arun Dhondiram Gurav (38), a priest at the Vitthlai Devi temple in Dugmanwad village of Radhanagari taluka, drowned in the Panchaganga river. Gurav had travelled to the Jyotiba temple in Wadi-Ratnagiri for the annual Chaitra Yatra and stayed at his sister's residence."On Thursday morning, while returning home, Gurav entered the river at the Shingnapur barrage to take a bath as his friends waited in a car nearby. He swam for some distance but became exhausted while returning and began to drown. Onlookers tried to rescue him by throwing a tube, but he failed to grab it and disappeared in the fast-flowing water," an official said.A search operation was launched by the disaster management team using scuba equipment, but strong currents hampered the effort. Gurav's body was recovered from the riverbank on Friday. A case has been registered with the Karvir police station.