At least 56 people died on Wednesday after a powerful storm accompanied by heavy rains caused widespread damage in Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Bhadohi, Fatehpur, Unnao, Kanpur Dehat, Chandauli, Sonbhadra and Badaun districts of Uttar Pradesh, among others.
Sixteen deaths were reported from Prayagraj district, 16 from Bhadohi district, nine from Fatehpur district, four from Unnao, three from Kanpur Dehat, five from Bhudun, two from Chandauli and one from Sonbhadra, according to reports from districts and news agencies.
The state government did not publish any consolidated figures for victims in the regions or the state as a whole.
“We are in the process of collecting the numbers and then the state government will announce the compensation accordingly,” a senior state government official said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued directions to provide compensation to victims affected by damage caused by unseasonal rains, storms and lightning strikes across Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that the task of delivering relief to the victims must be completed within 24 hours.
The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and directed officials from various departments – including district magistrates in all districts – to visit the affected sites and provide all possible assistance to the victims. He stressed that any negligence in carrying out this task will not be tolerated.
He ordered officials to remain on high alert. He directed the Directorate of Revenue and Agriculture and insurance companies to conduct a damage survey and submit a report to the government. Instructions were issued to complete the damage assessment immediately after the survey was conducted and to pay compensation without delay.
Officials said at least 16 people died in Bhadohi.
Trees were uprooted and homes damaged
District Magistrate Kunwar Virendra Kumar Maurya said reports had been received from several areas of trees being uprooted, electricity poles falling and damage to homes. He said that restoration and rescue operations faced difficulties due to the disruption of mobile phone networks due to the storm.
Maurya said sub-divisional magistrates, other district officials and police are inspecting and carrying out relief works in all three parts of the district.
56 killed in various districts of UP
Bhadohi Police said, in a post on the X website, that 16 people died in separate incidents in the area due to a dust storm, while six were injured, two of them in serious condition.
In Fatehpur, nine people were killed and 16 others injured in storm-related incidents.
Additional District Magistrate Avinash Tripathi said: “Eight people, including five women, were killed in Khaja tehsil, Sadar tehsil. One woman was killed due to the wall of a house collapsing. A total of nine deaths were reported in storm-related incidents, while 16 people were injured.”
A report from Prayagraj said that a 35-year-old woman named Savita and her six-year-old son were killed when the wall near which they were sheltering collapsed in Phulpur.
In Handia, a 14-year-old girl died after she became trapped under a tin shed that collapsed during the storm. Five other deaths were also reported.
An e-rickshaw driver, Riyazat Ali, died in Moima, while a nine-year-old boy lost his life in Soron.
In Akhri Shahpur village in Megha, a 12-year-old boy was killed when a tin godown collapsed on him, while his critically injured friend was rushed to SRN Hospital by his family members.
Similarly, another 12-year-old boy was returning from an orchard when he was killed by a branch of a mango tree that suddenly broke and fell on him.
In Hitapati, under the jurisdiction of Tharawi police in Prayagraj, a 60-year-old man, Dayanand Yadav, died in a weather-related accident.
In Pratapgarh, Lal Bahadur Verma died after being struck by lightning at Chhatarpur Rachna, within Antu police station area. In Ojha Ka Purwa Bijumau, under the jurisdiction of Lalganj Kotwali, Dharmendra Yadav died after he was crushed under a tin shed. Shanti Devi died after the courtyard wall of her house collapsed in Narangpur village under Bagrai police station area.
In Unnao, four people died across the district, including a nine-year-old boy, a 70-year-old man and two other men in separate incidents.
In Kanpur Dehat, 19-year-old Ruchi was among those killed in a lightning strike. Kanpur Dehat police said that during a wedding in Kotra village, a 10-year-old girl was standing near an unplastered mud wall when it collapsed during the storm, killing her instantly.
In Budon, five people, including two minor girls, were killed and a similar number injured in separate incidents caused by a severe dust storm and rain.
Five people died in storm-related incidents in Bisoli and Faizganj Bhata police station areas, while around five others were injured, Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hridesh Kumar Kataria said. In Sonbhadra, a person named Madhav Singh (38 years old) died after a tree fell on him when he stopped to take shelter under it. Police said the incident occurred in the Bonoganj police station area.
In Chandoli, two people were killed in two separate incidents in the Chakia police station area.
(With inputs from PTI)
