Disasters
AT least 33 people were killed on Thursday by lightning strikes as heavy monsoon storms swept India’s North-Eastern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
According to Umesh Singh, an official at the Disaster Management Control Room in state capital Patna, 28 people were killed across various districts in Bihar.
Several others were injured as high-speed winds and rains felled trees and electricity poles and brought down thatched homes and temporary structures.
“The deaths have been reported just as the monsoon arrived in Bihar and neighbouring regions. The victims were mostly farmers or the homeless who were outdoors.
“The injured were rushed to the hospital and undergoing treatment,“ Singh said.
Singh added that five additional deaths were reported in similar circumstances in two districts of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
However, the death toll from the heavy storms was likely to increase, as officials were collecting details of damage from districts in both states.
Lightning strikes and storms are common in India during the monsoon season that stretches between June and September. The weather bureau has forecast more storms in India for the coming days. (dpa/NAN)
– Jun. 25, 2020 @ 14:25 GMT |
Tags: Lightning kills 33 as monsoon storms batter north-east India
