Incident of lightning-related casualties in Bihar, India: An analysis and vulnerability assessment

Abstract

In terms of natural disasters, lightning is India's most devastating threat, causing over 2500 casualties per year, according to the latest annual report of the National Crime Record Bureau. When compared to numbers reported from other parts of the world, this one is significantly higher. Bihar ranks as one of the most vulnerable Indian states in terms of lightning-related casualties and injuries. Lightning-related casualties and injuries in lightning hotspots in Bihar, India, are analysed and presented for the first time using the casualty and injury data received from the field offices of the Disaster Management Department, Government of Bihar. Also, the spatial and temporal patterns and causes of lightning deaths in the state of Bihar have been linked to the intra-annual cloud-to-ground lightning strike frequency distribution. During 2017–2022, on average, there were 271 human casualties and 57.2 lightning injuries every year because of lightning in the small state of Bihar. The casualty rate per million per year was 2.65 during the period under study, which is higher than India's average (2.55). Lightning-related damages peaked from May to September, with June and July having the most (58.8% of total casualties and 59.43% of total injuries). Most of these casualties and injuries (about 76.8%) caused by lightning occurred from 1230 to 1830 IST. Several hotspots, mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the state, have been identified. Most of the casualties occurred in rural settings. Men between the age groups of 11–15 and 41–45 living in rural areas were particularly vulnerable. The authors contend that lightning mitigation actions and education campaigns regarding the risks associated with lightning should be undertaken with urgent priority to reduce the lightning casualty rate in the state of Bihar, India.