Breaking news
Extract from The Times of India,
May 2.
A violent storm rocked the city of Varanasi last night, with lightning igniting fires across the city even in the heavy rain. Scientists cannot explain how the fires burned so fiercely in monsoon conditions, but witnesses said lightning was seen in balls of scarlet fire as well as forked flames. A pillar of fire was reportedly seen above Manikarnika ghat on the banks of the Ganges.
“It was as if a whirling djinn was in our midst,” said Rajiv Gupta, a local tradesman.
Even more unusual were reports of miracles that occurred at the time the pillar of fire was sighted. Beggars living on the edges of the ghat, drawn to the fiery spectacle, have claimed to be healed of various diseases and one man allegedly regained his sight after twenty years of blindness. Hindu priests as well as the police are investigating the claims, reportedly attributing them to mass hysteria associated with the violent storm.