Two migrant workers were killed and another was injured after lightning struck at a laterite quarry at Kakkanampara in Chuzhali village near Sreekandapuram on Tuesday afternoon (October 14).

The deceased were identified as Jose alias Jack Nursery, 42, from Assam and Rajesh Mahananda, 20, from Odisha. The workers were walking from the quarry to have lunch around 2.30 p.m. when they were struck by lightning. Though they were rushed to a private hospital in Sreekandapuram, both succumbed to their injuries. Another worker, Gautham Roy, 40, from Assam, sustained serious burns and was admitted to the Kannur Government Medical College Hospital. Residents assisted in shifting the injured and the bodies to the hospital.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Kannur and Malappuram, warning of heavy rain with thunderstorms in the next few hours. A yellow alert has been sounded in eight other districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, and Thrissur, as isolated heavy rains are expected to continue for the next five days across Kerala.

Published – October 14, 2025 09:04 pm IST