As many as 26 people died and 50 others were badly injured due to severe dust storm and lightning in Uttar Pradesh according to India Today.
The cops say that most of the injuries happened when people sleeping inside their mud houses were caught unexpectedly by the thunderstorm followed by rain and thereby resulting in a wall collapse.
People were also injured in the disaster when signboards and hoardings got split apart into several places and fell on them, the police said.
“While six people died in Mainpuri, three each died in Etah and Kasganj, two each in Farrukhabad and Barabanki, and one each in Moradabad, Badaun, Pilibhit, Mathura, Kannauj, Sambhal, Ghaziabad, Amroha, Badaun and Mahoba in incidents related to dust storm and lightning,” data released by the state relief commissioner added.
An official press note added that various parts of the state suffered from dust storms late on Thursday evening, leading to wall collapse and uprooting of trees.
31 cattle died and 16 houses were destroyed in the incidents, officials added.
Massive power cuts were reported from several parts of the state, including Lucknow, as electricity lines and poles got seperated in the gale.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to take all measures to provide relief to the victims.
“He (Adityanath) has directed ministers in charge of the districts concerned to oversee relief operations,” Awanish Awasthi, principal secretary, information, said.
A financial aid of Rs 4 lakh has been announced by the CM for the family of the deceased. The district magistrates have been alerted to monitor the situation, government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma added.
Previously, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded that the state government should step up at the need of the hour to provide instant relief and compensation to the affected people.