Lightning Strike Near Mysuru Leaves Bengaluru Software Engineer Dead

A family trip from Kodagu to Bengaluru ended in tragedy after a 43-year-old software engineer was killed in a lightning strike near Yelwal on the outskirts of Mysuru on Monday evening, prompting district authorities to begin compensation proceedings for the bereaved family.

The victim, Hosoklu Roshan Balakrishna, had been travelling with his family when they briefly stopped near their land close to Yelwal at around 5 pm. During the stop, Roshan reportedly walked towards a mango tree near the property when lightning struck the area amid changing weather conditions.

Family members immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital before shifting him to Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Roshan was working with an IT company in Bengaluru under a hybrid work arrangement and was also involved in managing the family's coffee plantation in Kodagu. He lived with his family in Jalahalli and is survived by his wife and a son studying in Class 9.

Following the incident, the Mysuru District Disaster Management Unit initiated the process of providing ex gratia compensation to the family under natural calamity relief provisions.

Officials said district authorities were informed about the lightning death several hours after the incident, following which verification procedures were immediately started with the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) to confirm the strike as a natural calamity.

District Disaster Management Officer Sudhir said the required weather data and lightning coordinates had been checked before initiating the compensation formalities.

Authorities said the family has already submitted the FIR, while officials are currently processing additional documents including the post mortem report, Aadhaar details and bank account information required for legal verification and disbursal.

Under disaster relief norms, the family is eligible for compensation of Rs 5 lakh. Officials said Rs 4 lakh will be released through the State Disaster Response Fund, while the remaining Rs 1 lakh will come from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

District officials said the compensation amount would be transferred after completion of all mandatory verification procedures to avoid legal complications during disbursal.