Lucknow:/Jaipur: A total of 68 people died in separate lightning incidents across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Sunday.
While the death toll due to heavy lightning in Uttar Pradesh mounted to 41 on Monday, seven people were reported to be dead in Madhya Pradesh.
Lightning strikes claimed 20 lives in Rajasthan on Sunday. Among the deceased, seven were children from Kota and Dholpur districts. Over 10 more people have been reported to suffer injuries.
The incident from Rajasthan happened near Amer Fort in Jaipur when the tourists were out to enjoy a pleasant evening -- some were busy taking selfies while others chatting when they were struck down. Around twenty-seven people were reported to have been on the watchtower and the fort wall when the incident happened.
Jaipur police Commissioner Anand Shrivastav confirmed the incident. "A total of 11 people have died as lightning struck them while 8 people have been injured," Shrivastav said.
A few of them slipped from the hills and fell, deep down among bushes. SDRF teams have been rescuing them since last night and are searching for victims, said the disaster relief force officials.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed due to the lightning strikes in all the three states and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
So far, a total of 41 people have been killed in lightning strikes across UP, according to preliminary information.
According to reports, the deaths in UP occurred on Sunday evening. Fourteen people died in Prayagraj, five in Kanpur Dehat, three each in Firozabad and Kaushambhi and two each in Unnao and Chitrakoot after lightning struck them. Taking cognizance of the incidents, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his grief and directed the district administrations to provide adequate compensation to the tragedy struck families.
According to the government spokesman, deaths were also reported from Kanpur, Pratapgarh, Agra, Varanasi and Rae Bareli.
In Madhya Pradesh, seven people lost their lives due to lightning and thunder in Shyorpur, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Anuppur and Baitul districts. The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that lightning might strike in Bhopal, Gwalior, Hoshangabad, Ujjain and Indore.