A 46-year-old CRPF officer from Manipur was killed and four others, including another officer and two Jharkhand Police personnel, were injured after lightning struck a security outpost during an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred around 5:30 PM on Thursday in Keriburu village, amid heavy rainfall in the forested region.

According to officials, M Prabo Singh, a second-in-command rank officer with the CRPF’s 26th battalion, died on the spot. Assistant Commandant Subir Kumar Mandal, 49, from West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to Tata Main Hospital in Noamundi.

The personnel were stationed at a CRPF security outpost when the lightning struck. Evacuation and rescue efforts were delayed due to ongoing heavy rain, officials said.

Singh, who hailed from Imphal West district in Manipur, and Mandal were leading a joint operation involving CRPF and Jharkhand Police forces against Naxals in the region at the time of the incident.