Lightning and thunderstorms claim 71 lives in 5 states
As many as 71 people lost their lives in five states, including 42 in Uttar Pradesh, due to lightning and thunderstorms since yesterday, the Home Ministry said today. Among the dead, 42 were in UP, 14 in West Bengal, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, two in Delhi, and one in Uttarakhand. Altogether 83 people were injured in UP, 11 in Delhi and two in Uttarakhand.
24 districts in UP, 6 in WB, affected by lightning/thunderstorm
A total of 24 districts in UP, six in WB, three in Andhra Pradesh, two in Delhi and one in Uttarakhand were hit by the lightning and thunderstorms. Dust storms and thunderstorms wreaked havoc since yesterday left behind a trail of destruction. High-velocity winds uprooted trees and affected road, rail, and air services last evening in several places in north India.
Thunderstorm also affected other isolated places
Thunderstorms also occurred at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said yesterday.
A storm had hit UP, Rajasthan, Telangana earlier; killed 134
The devastation comes over 12 days after storms hit Uttar Pradesh (UP), Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Punjab, killing 134 people and injuring over 400. UP was the worst affected, accounting for 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district. Subsequently, on May 9, several parts of Uttar Pradesh were struck by a severe storm that left 18 dead and 27 others injured.
