Ranchi, Aug 21 - A trooper of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed when a lightning struck him while he was guarding a picket on the outskirts of Ranchi Friday, police said.

Chandan Dubey, a CRPF trooper posted at Barihatu picket situated in Bundu block, which is around 45 km from here, died in the afternoon when he was hit by lightning during a thunderstorm, a police official said.

He died on the way to hospital, the official added.

On Aug 13 and 14, 10 people had died due to lightning strikes in Jharkhand. This year, lightning has claimed over 30 lives in the state.

Last year, nearly 70 people had died in lightening strikes in Jharkhand. The state has been demanding that lightning deaths be included in deaths by natural calamities so that the victims' families can get some compensation as per law.