By Siddhartha Kumar
The dpa
NEW DELHI — Lightning strikes and storm-related incidents in northern and eastern India have killed 94 people, officials said Wednesday.
The deaths were reported from the four states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh since Tuesday at the start of the monsoon season in the region.
Fifty-three people, mostly farmers, homeless people and those outdoors, were killed after being struck by lightning in Bihar, disaster management official Aniruddh Kumar said.
Lightning kills at least 93 as monsoon sweeps India https://t.co/mhFpYb94kl pic.twitter.com/MIKmrf64wL
— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 22, 2016
Most of the deaths were reported from in and around state capital Patna, as well as districts like Aurangabad, Rohtas and Nalanda. Bihar. Twenty-two people sustained serious burn injuries.
Fifteen more were people died in lightning and house collapses during squalls in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh while 10 people died in Jharkhand state.
Sixteen deaths were also reported from the Madhya Pradesh state, officials said.
Lightning kills dozens in India in the past 24 hours, mostly farm laborers working in fields https://t.co/oP4kphi26g pic.twitter.com/R96WVY1tIo
— ABC News (@ABC) June 22, 2016
Storms and lightning claim numerous victims during India’s rainy season from June to September.
Praying 4 The Families
So Sad!
Lightning Kills 79
Mostly Farm Laborers, Working in The Fields over 2Days in India pic.twitter.com/ZSiTOxm7VC— Regica Rwamulege (@RRwamulege) June 22, 2016
Copyright 2016 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH