At least 33 people lost their lives after a powerful storm, accompanied by heavy rainfall and lightning, struck multiple districts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction and disruption.
As per a report by NDTV, officials confirmed that Bhadohi recorded the highest number of fatalities at 16, followed by nine deaths in Fatehpur. Budaun reported five casualties, while Chandauli and Sonbhadra recorded two and one deaths respectively. Several others sustained injuries in storm-related incidents across these regions.
Widespread damage and disruptions
In Bhadohi, Additional District Magistrate Kunwar Virendra Kumar Maurya said that reports of uprooted trees, damaged electricity poles and collapsed houses were coming in from multiple areas. He noted that restoration and rescue efforts were slowed due to disrupted mobile networks.
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According to a post by Bhadohi police on X, 16 people died in separate incidents linked to the dust storm, while six were injured, two of them seriously. Officials said teams, including sub-divisional magistrates and police personnel, were deployed across all three tehsils to assess damage and carry out relief operations.
Fatal incidents in other regions
In Fatehpur, nine people were killed and 16 injured. Additional District Magistrate Avinash Tripathi said, "Eight persons, including five women, were killed in Khaga tehsil, in Sadar tehsil, one woman was killed due to a house wall collapse. A total of nine deaths have been reported in storm-related incidents, while 16 people were injured."
Budaun witnessed multiple tragedies, including the deaths of two minor girls after a mud wall collapsed. Separate incidents involving falling trees also claimed lives in the district. Similar causes led to deaths in Chandauli and Sonbhadra, where individuals were struck by collapsing walls or uprooted trees while seeking shelter.
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Government orders immediate relief
Taking stock of the situation, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to ensure swift assistance to affected families. He instructed that relief measures be completed within 24 hours and warned that negligence would not be tolerated.
The Chief Minister also ordered departments, including revenue and agriculture, along with insurance companies, to conduct damage assessments and submit reports promptly. Compensation, he said, should be disbursed immediately after evaluation.
