Powerful storms in northern Uttar Pradesh state have killed at least 111 people, with more than 200 homes damaged and aid ordered for affected families.
Powerful storms that swept across India's northern Uttar Pradesh state this week have claimed the lives of at least 111 people, according to government officials. This brings the death toll up from an earlier count of 89 fatalities reported on May 13th. The storm system, which included gales, lightning strikes, and torrential rain, left more than 200 homes damaged in its wake.
Footage broadcast on television showed scenes of devastation, with tin roofs ripped off buildings and trees uprooted that blocked roads. The state's Relief Commissioner's office initially reported 89 deaths and 72 injuries but later updated the toll to 111 dead as more reports came in from affected districts.
Uttar Pradesh, home to over 240 million people, is frequently hit by storms during the summer months ahead of the monsoon rains. Lightning strikes are a regular cause of death in these regions. The state's Relief Commissioner's office had initially on May 13th, 89 people had been killed and 72 injured, with more than 200 homes damaged.
Reports from Indian media outlets vary slightly; The Hindu newspaper reported the toll at 111 dead, while The Times of India mentioned 117 fatalities. However, AFP was unable to immediately confirm these figures. A video widely shared by Indian media appeared to show a man hurled high into the air in Bareilly district during the storm.
Nanhe Ansari, a laborer from Uttar Pradesh, described his harrowing experience: "While some of us were holding it and one person was tying it, a very strong gust of wind came. My grip did not loosen, and I was lifted nearly 50 feet (15 meters) into the air along with the tin sheet and thrown about 80 feet away." Ansari once he fell from the sky, he landed in a maize field filled with water, thinking he would not survive but miraculously survived.
India's weather office has warned of an increase in extreme weather events, including intense thunderstorms and lightning strikes. Experts attribute these phenomena to rising temperatures and changing climate patterns. The statement issued by officials instructed that financial aid be distributed to the affected families.
The violent weather that tore across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday was part of widespread pre-monsoon thunderstorm activity triggered by unstable atmospheric conditions. Authorities are working closely with local communities to provide immediate relief and long-term support to those impacted by the storms.
