TURA: Two passengers were killed and eight others injured when lightning struck their boat on the Brahmaputra river while heading back from a market fare near Phulbari town in West Garo Hills late Sunday afternoon.
The boat filled with passengers was returning from the Parharkata Bazar in neighbouring Assam at around 3 pm when it encountered bad weather.
The boat was on the waters of South Salmara region of Assam when it was struck by lightning while approaching Dawakhandi village.
Eight passengers who were injured in the lightning strike were rushed to Phulbari hospital where doctors declared two dead and four others critical.
Phulbari police have identified the deceased as Hussein Ali and Jahidur Darker, both hailing from Charbatapara village in Meghalaya.
On arrival at Phulbari, a commotion broke out at the hospital where relatives along with a mob of several dozen outsiders entered the hospital premises and accused medical staff of delaying treatment. They alleged that doctors took time to come to the hospital and attend to the victims at the emergency room prompting relatives to vent their anger by breaking the window panes and damaging furniture. Police from Phulbari station as well as neighbouring Assam had to be rushed in to contain the situation and the four critical victims were later rushed to Guwahati for advanced medical treatment.
Police have registered an FIR over the vandalism at the hospital.
While the angry mob alleged that treatment was delayed at the hospital, medical staff refute the charge maintaining that a doctor who was residing in a residential quarter inside the complex attended to the patients within minutes of their arrival.
Local MLA S.G. Esmatur Mominin apprised Chief Minister Conrad Sangma of the incident and sought financial aid for the family of the deceased.
He also asked the deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills to provide immediate aid to the affected families.
Mominin also made arrangement for treatment of the injured persons in hospital.
