Thunderstorms Kill 12 in Jharkhand, 15 in UP and 19 in Bihar

The concerned DMs have been directed to undertake rescue works and ensure distribution of relief within 24 hours.

Image used for representational purpose.

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As many as 46 people have reportedly lost their lives after thunderstorms lashed different parts of Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, 29 May.

While 12 people have died and 28 have been injured in Jharkhand, 15 persons were killed and ten others were injured in parts of Uttar Pradesh and 19 were killed in Bihar.

“Thunderstorm accompanied with rain/squall/hailstone is likely to occur today during next three hours over some areas in Hardoi, Sitapur, Farrukhabad districts and adjoining areas,” the India Meteorological Department said.

Bihar

According to the disaster management department, 16 out of the 19 deaths in Bihar were reported in four districts situated south of the Ganges.

Adjoining districts of Gaya and Aurangabad reported the maximum number of five deaths each.

In Aurangabad, all the deaths were caused by lightning and the victims included two women, reported PTI. In Gaya, collapsed roofs and falling trees killed five people, including two women aged 70 and 45, a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy.

Two girls and a boy were injured in Gaya, the department said.

Four people, including three children aged 8-14 years, died in Munger after being struck by lightning and one person was injured. Lightning claimed the lives of a 16-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man in Nawada district.

Three deaths were reported from Katihar in north Bihar where an 11-year-old girl, a 45-year-old woman and a 70-year-old man were crushed to death under trees uprooted by the storm.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered to give an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives in the massive thunderstorm last night and efforts are being made to complete the process today itself.

Pratyaya Amrit, Principal Secretary of Disaster Management Department to ANI

Uttar Pradesh

15 people were killed and 10 injured, a senior official said on Tuesday.

"While six persons were killed in Unnao in incidents of thunderstorm and lightning last night, three persons died in Rae Bareli, 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.

Principal Secretary, Information Avinish Awasthi told PTI that the concerned district magistrates have been directed to undertake rescue works and ensure distribution of relief within 24 hours.

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. There is a similar forecast for Bihar.

The local MeT office has warned of heat wave in lower Himachal on Wednesday, 30 May, and rains or thunderstorm in the mid-hills for six days from Wednesday.

According to reports in The Financial Express, thunderstorm and hail storm are likely to hit parts of Uttarakhand. The report also states that between 3 to 6 pm on Tuesday, it is likely to also affect isolated places in Dehradun, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh.

(With inputs from PTI)