While monsoon rains are bringing much-needed water to India’s parched farms, they are also causing deadly lightning strikes, which killed at least 90 people this week.
Most lightning-related deaths occurred in the eastern state of Bihar – where an overnight storm on Tuesday killed at least 57 people and injured another 28, mainly in rural areas, Vyasji, principal secretary in Bihar, who goes by one name, said.Rains have been pounding several parts of Bihar since Tuesday evening and thunderbolts are striking at regular intervals, Mr. Vyasji said. He added the toll from lightning strikes “may go up further.”
Another 17 people died in Uttar Pradesh in north India, 10 in Jharkhand state in the east and six in Madhya Pradesh in central India, according to state authorities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply anguished by loss of lives due to lightning.”