Severe Storm in India Claims at Least 116 Lives

Due to lightning and severe dust storms across India, at least 116 people have been killed and over 250 injured. On Thursday, meteorologists warned that the unstable weather would continue. According to AFP, dust clouds plunged a vast area of northern India into darkness, and strong winds exceeding 130 kilometers per hour caused many mud houses to collapse while their residents were asleep. In the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab, walls and roofs of homes collapsed, and numerous trees and power poles fell. Officials say the death toll in these areas is likely to rise. Following this severe storm, lightning and rain arrived. Such storms claim hundreds of lives in India every year, but this year's storm has been the most severe in decades. According to the latest reports, on Wednesday, 65 people died in Uttar Pradesh, 35 in the arid state of Rajasthan, and two in Punjab. Additionally, at least 14 people were killed in Andhra Pradesh due to the storm on Tuesday. Relief officials in this state reported over 41,000 lightning strikes within a few hours. The Agra region in Uttar Pradesh was the hardest hit by the dust storm, resulting in over 40 deaths. The Taj Mahal, located in Agra, has reportedly not been damaged. AFP recalls that last month, a similar storm resulted in at least 15 deaths in Uttar Pradesh, and two minarets of one of the entrance buildings to the Taj Mahal were damaged. According to officials, most of the storm's victims died while sleeping due to collapsing walls and roofs or falling trees and power poles. On Thursday, rescue and search operations for those trapped under debris were still ongoing. A relief official in Uttar Pradesh confirmed to AFP, 'We can confirm at least 65 deaths in forty areas of the state.' He also added that the number of casualties from this storm is unprecedented in the last 20 years.