As many as 63 people died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in a severe storm that affected several other parts of north and north-west India on Wednesday night.
Agra in UP saw the highest casualties with 36 people, including children, losing their lives, mainly in houses collapses. Nine others lost their lives in other parts of the state including in Bijnaur, Saharanpur and Bareilly.
In Rajasthan, 14 people were killed in Dholpur and six in Bharatpur district. Most of the people died after the roof or walls of their houses collapsed in the storm while they were sleeping. Both the states have promised to provide compensation to the families of the deceased.
More than 200 people were injured and about 600 electricity poles were damaged in the storm, leading to severe power cuts. The storm also affected the movement of at least 25 trains and killed nearly 100 cattle in Uttar Pradesh. Hailstorms in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh damaged crops, leading to protests by farmers on Thursday morning.
According to the meteorological department of the Indian Air Force’s Kheria base, on Wednesday night, as much as 48.2 mm rainfall was reported in Agra district between 8:45 pm to 11:30 pm. That was accompanied by 126 km/hr storm winds.
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