Kozhikode: Seven people were injured when lightning struck South Kozhikode Beach at 2 pm on Thursday. The injured are Ashraf, Anil, Sharif, Munaf, Zubair, Salim, and Abdul Latif. They were swiftly moved to the Kozhikode General Hospital (Beach Hospital) for urgent medical attention.

Ashraf, Zubair, Manaf, Saleem, and Latif got hit by lightning while trying to load the barrels containing sea water onto a truck. Ashraf was atop the truck and sustained serious injuries. He fell unconscious under the impact. He has been admitted to ICU.

Anil, a 14 year old boy who was selling sea mussels and a man who came to buy mussels were also struck by lightning. By noon, the Kozhikode city area experienced rain, thunderstorm and lightning. The laborers were collecting water from the sea, to be sent to Coimbatore for tobacco plantations.

According to hospital sources, the condition of the one of the injured men is critical. Despite Kozhikode receiving minimal rain, instances of intense lightning were reported from various areas in the afternoon.