Overview
- A 43-year-old IT professional from Kodagu, Hosoklu Roshan Balakrishna, was struck and killed by lightning while visiting family land near Yelwal on the outskirts of Mysuru, reports say.
- Witnesses say Roshan stopped to pluck mangoes near a tree during the visit and collapsed after the strike; another person at the site suffered minor injuries.
- The Mysuru district disaster management unit has begun processing Rs 5 lakh in aid to Roshan’s family, with Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund and Rs 1 lakh from the National Disaster Response Fund.
- KSNDMC records show the Mysuru-Mandya-Chamarajanagar area logged 40 lightning deaths from 2011–2023 and tens of thousands of cloud-to-ground strikes in recent years, and the agency has installed sensor stations to map strikes.
- Local reporting and official data underline a pattern of rural vulnerability where farm work, tall trees, and water bodies raise exposure to cloud-to-ground strikes, increasing the need for targeted warnings and safety outreach to farming communities.