Lightning kills 18 elephants in India A woman prays next to the carcasses of elephants that according to the forest officials possibly died because of a lightning strike, on the foothills of the Kundoli reserve forest area in Nagaon district in the north-eastern state of Assam, India, May 14, 2021. (Reuters photo) By Fri May 14 2021 A herd of 18 wild Asiatic elephants were found dead in India’s eastern state of Assam, possibly because of a massive lightning strike, local officials said on Friday. Fourteen adult elephants were found dead by villagers on Thursday. Another four bodies were found scattered on the foothills of the Kundoli reserve forest area of Assam, 160 kilometres from the state capital of Dispur, local wildlife official, M.K Yadava, told Reuters.