Three people, including a teenager, were killed and three others injured after lightning struck a group of farmers in Sindh’s Tharparkar district on Friday.

Heavy monsoon rains accompanied by thunderstorms hit several areas of Tharparkar, including Islamkot and Nagarparkar. During the downpour, lightning struck a group of six people who were sheltering under a tree in a field in Garho Kachhela village on the outskirts of Islamkot.

Rescue sources said the lightning struck instantly, killing three people on the spot. The deceased were identified as Taj Muhammad Shah, Sajan Meghwar and 14-year-old Amrit Meghwar. Three others — Rajesh, Teerath and Umar Otho — were injured and rushed to the Taluka Hospital in Islamkot, where they are receiving medical treatment.

Read: Lightning strikes in K-P leave two children dead, over 20 injured in separate incidents

Sources said the field belonged to Taj Muhammad Shah. The victims were working in the field with other farmers when it started raining. They took shelter under a tree to avoid the rain when lightning struck.

Locals said lightning strikes have claimed several human lives and hundreds of livestock in Tharparkar over the past four to five years. The incident cast a pall of gloom over the area.

Residents expressed condolences to the bereaved families and urged the administration to launch effective awareness campaigns and implement safety measures to protect people from natural disasters.