Berhampur: A 48-year-old tourist from Cuttack district, who went missing in Mahendragiri hill in Gajapati district during a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon, was found dead near Bhima temple located at the peak, on Monday.Police said victim Binod Jena, an autorickshaw driver from Bairoi in Cuttack district, was killed in lightning strike during the thunderstorm. “Several parts of his body are burnt. The medical report also confirms his death in lightning strike,” said Madhabanand Nayak, subdivisional police officer (SDPO), Paralakhemundi.Police said they would recommend providing ex gratia to the family of the deceased as he died in lightning strike.They added Jena’s friends survived as they took shelter in the temple.The body of the deceased was found near the Bhima temple during a search operation jointly conducted by the fire, forest and police personnel, said Nayak. “They could not find the body on Sunday afternoon, even though they searched the area immediately after getting the report. The search operation was resumed in the morning by involving more personnel,” said the SDPO.Police said Jena, along with three of his friends, were trekking towards the ancient Bhima temple atop Mahendragiri in the Eastern Ghats, when the thunderstorm struck.The body was handed over to the family members of the deceased, after postmortem at Paralakhemundi hospital, police said.
