Almost 20 elephants killed by suspected lightning strikes

Lightning strikes are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 18 wild Asiatic elephants in remote northeastern India, a forest official said on Friday. Five calves were amongst the number of elephants found dead in the protected Kondali forest reserve, located in the state of Assam, on Thursday. The discovery was made by forest guards who were sweeping the area following heavy rains. Early autopsy reports have suggested that the elephants died after being struck by lightning, but further investigations are taking place to find out the exact cause of death.