Shafaqna India: At least 89 people were killed after a powerful storm accompanied by heavy rain, lightning and strong winds tore through several districts of Uttar Pradesh, uprooting trees, collapsing houses and damaging electricity infrastructure, officials said on Thursday.
The worst-hit districts included Prayagraj, where 17 deaths were reported, followed by Bhadohi with 16 fatalities and Fatehpur with nine. Four people died in Pratapgarh, while other deaths were reported from Badaun, Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sonbhadra, Kanpur Dehat and Deoria.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the widespread destruction caused by the unseasonal weather and directed officials to ensure relief reaches affected families within 24 hours.
“District magistrates and officials of all departments must visit affected areas and provide all possible assistance to victims and their families,” Adityanath said, while also ordering officials to stay on alert amid forecasts of further adverse weather.
According to the Prayagraj district administration, seven deaths were reported from Handia, four from Phulpur, three from Soraon, two from Meja and one from Sadar due to storm- and rain-related incidents.
In Bhadohi, Additional District Magistrate Kunwar Virendra Kumar Maurya said the storm caused extensive damage across the district. “Trees and electric poles were uprooted in several areas while many houses were damaged,” he said.
Fatehpur Additional District Magistrate Avinash Tripathi said nine people were killed and 16 injured in the district. “Eight people, including five women, died in Khaga tehsil, while another woman died after a house wall collapsed in Sadar tehsil,” he said.
In Pratapgarh, four people died in separate incidents involving wall collapses, collapsed cemented sheds and lightning strikes amid strong winds and rain.
Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar said 25-year-old Bhim Yadav died after being trapped under debris when a cemented shed collapsed in Ojha Ka Purwa village under Lalganj Kotwali area.
Bhukar added that 56-year-old Bhushan Pandey died after a wall collapsed in Sari Swami village under Baghrai police station limits. Two others — Shanti Devi (46) and Lal Bahadur (44) — also lost their lives in separate storm-related incidents.
In Kanpur Dehat, a 19-year-old woman identified as Ruchi was killed after lightning struck a neem tree under which she had taken shelter with goats during heavy rain in Bhauthari village under Rasulabad area. Several goats also died in the incident, police said. A 60-year-old man standing nearby sustained injuries.
Additional District Magistrate Dushyant Kumar said local officials had been asked to submit reports on human and livestock losses so compensation could be processed under government norms.
In Deoria, two elderly men — Komal Yadav (62) and Ramnath Prasad (65) — died in separate lightning strike incidents, while two others were injured.
In Sonbhadra, Madhav Singh (38) died after being trapped beneath a tree uprooted during the storm.
The chief minister also directed the revenue and agriculture departments, along with insurance companies, to conduct a comprehensive damage assessment survey and submit reports to the government to expedite compensation for the affected families.
