Eleven persons were injured in a lightning strike while returning after offering prayers at the historic Mangala Devi temple, located inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border, on Friday, police said.

According to police, the injured include 10 devotees from Tamil Nadu and a police officer from Kumily in Idukki.

Thousands of devotees had visited the temple, which opens only once a year, for the Chitra Pournami festival jointly organised by the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments.

The incident occurred after 5 pm when pilgrims were descending the hill in vehicles, and lightning struck the area, affecting passengers, police said.

Injured shifted to hospitals; names and details reported

The injured were rushed to a hospital in Kumily, where they received preliminary treatment. The police officer, who sustained injuries to his arms, was later shifted to a hospital in Pala in Kottayam district.

Authorities said the condition of all the injured was stable. The devotees from Tamil Nadu were later shifted to a hospital in Theni.

Separately, details from the incident identified those injured as five devotees and a police officer.

The injured include CPO Ansar from the Idukki District Police Headquarters, Vishnu from Azhimala in Thiruvananthapuram, and Tamil Nadu residents Dhanalakshmi (57), Lokamani (59), and Kali Ammal (51), along with Ramya (36) from Thrissur.

Police officer Ansar reportedly fell after being struck by lightning and sustained a fracture to his left elbow. He was moved to a private hospital in Pala.

Other injured persons were admitted to the Kumily Family Health Centre. While no burns were reported, they were under medical observation due to pain.

Advisory issued earlier amid intensified rains

Authorities said the district administration had earlier warned pilgrims about the possibility of lightning strikes, as summer rains had intensified in recent days.