28 people died in 48 hours as heavy rains, thunderstorms and lightning strikes caused widespread damage across Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, with the Meteorological Department warning of more adverse conditions in several northern states.
Uttar Pradesh remained the most affected state, with 11 deaths recorded in three districts due to sudden rains and severe thunderstorms.
In Hamirpur district, four workers and two security guards were killed after a portion of an under-construction bridge over the Betwa river near Murakandar Barsari village collapsed during a storm in the early hours of Friday, officials said. Of the seven workers doing wire work on the bridge, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team rescued three people.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia grant $5 lakhs each for the family of the deceased and $50,000 for the injured.
In Kaushambi district, three members of a family, including two children, were killed and another child was injured after a tree fell on a mud house following heavy rains and a severe storm on Friday, police said. The incident took place around 4 am in Purab Sharera village when Maya Devi (28), her sons Ankush (5), Anubhav (4) and daughter Shweta (3) were sleeping inside the house.
In Jalun camp, officials said a severe storm accompanied by heavy rain and lightning killed two people and injured at least seven others. The storm also killed 23 animals and partially damaged 45 homes, according to a damage report issued by the district disaster management authority.
According to the district administration, Sukhdevi (55), a resident of Umrar Kheda locality in Urai, and Moolchand (60), a resident of Bagida village of Kotwali district, died in storm-related incidents on Thursday evening. The administration has initiated financial aid $4 thousand pounds for each family of the deceased.
7 killed in both the West Bank and Bihar
Rains also fell in several areas in West Bengal state, where at least seven people were killed and many others injured on Friday, minutes before the Meteorological Department issued a red alert.
Prime Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a compensation of $4 thousand for each of the relatives of the deceased. He added that the government will bear the costs of treating the injured. “Seven people were killed and others injured when lightning and thunderstorms struck multiple districts, including Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, West Midnapore and Purulia. The deaths and injuries were primarily caused by lightning, wall collapse and electrocution,” he added.
Seven people died in Bihar due to lightning strikes in the past 24 hours, officials said. The deaths were reported from Aurangabad (2), Gaya (3), and one each from Saran and Khagaria, they added.
Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary expressed his condolences and directed the DMD to immediately provide an ex-gratia grant $4 thousand to the families of the deceased.
3 people were killed in Madhya Pradesh
Heavy rains wreaked havoc in more than a dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh, killing three people and injuring two in Bhind district. According to officials, Sumitra died on the spot after being struck by lightning, while Jitendra Singh Tomar was killed when a roof slab collapsed on him in Gohad. In another incident, the roof of Jagmohan Singh Gurjar’s house collapsed in heavy rain, killing Shiv Kumar Gurjar on the spot. His two brothers, Ramveer Singh Gurjar (45 years old) and Amar Singh Gurjar (65 years old) were injured.
Meanwhile, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand also received heavy rains accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms, bringing relief to the scorching temperatures but also disrupting daily life.
With agency input
