Lightning strike destroys house in Champhai, Mizoram, killing animals

A lightning strike destroyed a house in Champhai town of Mizoram near the Myanmar border on Tuesday evening, causing significant property damage. The incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. in the Electric Veng neighbourhood during a thunderstorm.

When lightning struck the house, which belonged to a local resident named Lalhmunliani, it quickly burst into flames. Despite swift action from fire and emergency services, the blaze intensified when two cooking gas cylinders exploded, hampering containment efforts.

5 November 2024: Nichin lawk khan Champhai Electric veng-ah ṭekin in a deng a, kangmei a chhuak. Thi leh hliam chanchin hriat a ni hrih lo.

(WhatsApp viral video)#champhai #mizoram #lightning pic.twitter.com/NaWrB3yv0W

— Lamtluang (@Lamtluang) November 5, 2024

In a statement, Champhai Fire Station confirmed that no human casualties were reported, but a lightning strike led to the deaths of several domestic animals. According to local officials, two pigs and 23 chickens, valued at Rs 9,42,000, perished in the fire. Additionally, cash worth Rs 1,91,950 was destroyed, bringing the total estimated damage to Rs 11,33,950.

Firefighters, assisted by local volunteers, fought the blaze with fire tenders, but the gas cylinder explosions made it impossible to extinguish the flames in time. As a result, the fire consumed the entire building.

While lightning is common in Mizoram, it’s rare for strikes to cause fires in residential areas. This incident marks a devastating loss for the affected family and raised concerns over home safety during thunderstorms.

Local authorities are assessing the damage, and officials have expressed condolences to the affected family.

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