120 sheep, goats killed by lightning in Kangra’s Boh Valley

At least 120 sheep and goats were killed by a lightning strike near the Droneshwar Mahadev temple in Kanikot Jot Dhar, Boh Valley, in Kangra district.

The lightning reportedly struck late last night. The affected sheep herders — Uttam Chand of Sapera village, Buddhi Singh of Sapeda village (both in Kangra), and Nathuram of Bhiora village, Chamba district — discovered the mass deaths in the morning. Nathuram informed fellow herders after walking to a nearby camp.

The chairman of State Co-operative Wool Procurement and Marketing Federation Limited, Manoj Kumar Thakur, said, “I understand the pain of the herders. Their entire livelihood depends on animal husbandry. We will ensure that all possible help is provided by the state government and the district administrations.”

An official team comprising veterinary pharmacists Harbans Singh and Surendra Kumar, along with animal husbandry attendants Kewal Ram and Karan Singh, visited the site to assess the damage and document the loss.

Local youths Avdesh Kaushal, Riharu Ram, Pankaj Kumar, Raju Ram, Vikas Kumar, Rajkumar, Jeet Kumar and Goda Ram also assisted the visiting team to assess the losses.

The sheep herders have appealed to the government to release immediate compensation, stating that the loss had severely impacted their financial condition.