Thunderstorms Leave 34 Dead in UP, Bihar

Patna/Lucknow: Thunderstorms struck at several places in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 34 people as hutments collapsed and trees fell, officials said.

Nineteen people died in Bihar last night, with the districts of Gaya and Aurangabad reporting five deaths each, Bihar's disaster management department said.

Other deaths were reported from Munger, Katihar and Nawada districts of the state, it said.

In Uttar Pradesh, 15 people were killed and ten injured, a senior official said today.

"While six persons were killed in Unnao in incidents of thunderstorm and lightning last night, three persons died in Raebareli, and two each in Kanpur, Pilibhit and Gonda districts," UP relief commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.

Among those injured, four belonged to Unnao and three each were from Kannauj and Raebareli, he said. He said the storm damaged hutments in Unnao and Rae Bareli districts.

District magistrates have been directed to ensure distribution of relief within 24 hours, UP principal secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi said.

Unnao district magistrate Ravikumar said while two deaths were due to lightning, the others died in incidents of house collapse, uprooting of trees and electric poles.

Movement of traffic on the main Hardoi-Unnao road was hit because of fallen trees, which were later removed, the DM said.

Rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds, with speeds reaching 50-70 kmph, are very likely at isolated places in UP over the next couple of days, MeT officials said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar condoled the deaths and issued instructions for quick disbursement of ex gratia compensation.

Storms this month have left a trail of destruction in various states. On May 2-3, a storm killed 134 people and injured over 400 in five states.

Uttar Pradesh was the worst hit with 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.