A boy was killed after being struck by lightning in Chitre of Maiwakhola Rural Municipality-4 on Wednesday evening.

The 10-year-old died after being struck by lightning at 8pm on Wednesday, said Vijay Prakash Wanem, the rural municipality chair.

The boy’s parents Darinchen Sherpa and Ngima Lhamu Sherpa also sustained injuries during the incident. The duo have been admitted to the Taplejung District Hospital.

The body of the deceased brought to the district hospital for postmortem will be handed to the family after the procedure has been completed, District Police Inspector and Information Officer Kushram Karki said.

According to Wanem, the incident took place when the family were in their home.

Since the electrical wires in the house have been damaged, it is suspected that the casualty was caused due to an electrical short circuit, Wanem added.

In a similar incident, a house in Hangdeva of Phunling-9 was engulfed by fire on Sunday after the electrical wires caught fire following a lightning strike, the District branch of the Red Cross said.