*KOLKATA: *At least 13 people were killed and over 25 injured afterlightning struck during a northwester that hit different parts of WestBengal last night, a senior official from the state disaster managementsaid today.

Three people each died in Nadia, Murshidabad and North 24 Parganasdistricts and two each in Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda.

“Most of them were outside their house and working in their fields whilelightning struck them,” the official added.

The condition of two out of the four people injured in Purulia is said tobe critical.

Alerts were issued across all the blocks in the districts and necessaryprecautionary measures were taken, in view of the warnings issued by theweather department, he said.