Lightning strikes kill over 100 in India

NEW DELHI (REUTERS): Lightning strikes killed more than 100 people in India’s eastern Bihar state and in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh today (Thursday).

According to details, at least 83 people were killed in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar, and another 24 died in northern Uttar Pradesh state, the most populous state.

Their chief ministers’ offices confirmed the news. Officials informed that dozens of people were also injured in lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, a government spokesperson said so far there was no information on the number of injuries.

In this regard, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his condolences to the victims’ families, adding that both state governments were carrying out urgent relief work. The two states announced a compensation of 400,000 rupees for the next of the family of each of the dead.

Bihar’s Disaster Management Minister Lakshmeshwar Rai told that this was one of the highest daily tolls from lightning the state had recorded in recent years.

Lightning and thunderstorms are common as the rainy season kicks off in India with the seasonal monsoon covering most of the country’s northern region.

According to a report, Bihar reported 225,508 instances of lightning strikes and Uttar Pradesh 322,886 strikes, with 394 people killed, between April 1 and July 31, 2019.