In the first incident, three people were killed and three others were seriously injured when they were thatching the roof of a temple on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha.
Other deaths were reported in the districts of Bhadrak, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Khurda and Mayurbhanj. Most of the victims were working in the fields or hiding under the trees when they were caught by a sudden thunderstorm, according to police.
In addition, 21 cattle were killed when struck; the storm also uprooted trees, causing power cuts for several hours, blocking roads and damaging houses and vehicles.
A local meteorological center has predicted more thunderstorms accompanied by heavy showers over north Odisha on Thursday, and strongly recommended that residents stay home and observe standart safety precautions.
