West Bengal, 19 June (H.S.): Three ground staff members at Kolkata Airport were seriously injured after being struck by lightning during heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday morning. Airport sources said their condition is critical and they are currently undergoing treatment.

According to airport officials, the incident occurred while baggage was being unloaded from an Emirates flight. The injured include one Emirates ground staff member and two employees associated with IndiGo's ground handling operations. Following the incident, all three were immediately rushed to the airport's medical facility, where treatment was initiated.

The accident took place as Kolkata witnessed intense rainfall accompanied by strong winds and frequent lightning strikes. Dark clouds covered the city skies from early morning before heavy showers lashed Kolkata and several other districts of South Bengal.

Moderate to heavy rainfall in various parts of the city also affected traffic movement during the morning hours. Waterlogging and reduced visibility added to the difficulties faced by commuters.

Meanwhile, the situation in North Bengal has turned increasingly grim due to continuous rainfall. Multiple landslides have been reported from hill areas. Rising water levels in the Balason River have triggered landslides at several points along National Highway 110, disrupting road connectivity between Siliguri and Mirik. Transportation on the Siliguri-Kurseong route has also been severely affected following a landslide near Mahanadi.

The Alipore Meteorological Department has already issued a weather alert for both North and South Bengal. The weather office has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, gusty winds and widespread rainfall across several districts over the next few days.

Meteorologists attributed the ongoing weather conditions to a strong influx of moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the favourable position of the monsoon trough over the region. The combination of these factors is expected to intensify rainfall activity across the state.

The weather department has warned that several districts of North Bengal may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated locations likely to receive extremely heavy rain. South Bengal is also expected to witness increased rainfall activity along with thunderstorms and strong winds.

Officials said the prevailing weather system is likely to bring down temperatures across the state, providing relief from the prevailing humid conditions. However, residents have been advised to remain cautious as the threat of lightning, flooding and landslides continues in several areas of West Bengal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey