Aug. 7—Two engineers of IndiGo airlines were injured after being struck by lightning at Nagpur's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport on Saturday. The incident happened amid heavy rain and thunder in the Maharashtra district when they were on their walkie-talkie, carrying out routine recce for an incoming IndiGo Ahmedabad-Nagpur flight.
One of the engineers fell unconscious on impact of the lightning, while the second continues to have weakness in his right hand as a result of the accident, Mohammad Etesham, duty doctor of Kingsway Hospital at the airport, told PTI.
"They were talking on their walkie-talkie sets to the captain of an Indigo flight that had arrived at the bay at around 5pm when the incident took place," Etesham informed.
Reports said the aircraft was grounded and could not take off for its next destination.
The engineers were rushed to the Kingsway Hospital and are under observation in the Intensive Care Unit at present. Their conditions are stable now.
Earlier this week, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Maharashtra is likely to receive above-normal rainfall during August and September. Meanwhile, the weather department predicted that heavy downpour is also likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Konkan, Goa and South Interior Karnataka.
(With agency inputs)
___
(c)2022 the Hindustan Times (New Delhi)
Visit the Hindustan Times (New Delhi) at www.hindustantimes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
