Storm bolts: Lightning strikes over the grey sky during monsoons in Patna on Wednesday. — AFP
Lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India this week killed at least 33 people and injured dozens, officials said.
The deaths in Bihar occurred during fierce storms between Wednesday and Thursday, a state disaster management department statement said, with the victims mostly farmers and labourers working in the open.
More heavy rain and lightning are forecast for parts of the state.
Bihar state’s disaster management minister, Vijay Kumar Mandal, said officials in vulnerable districts had been directed to “create awareness to take precautionary steps following an alert on lightning”.
The state government announced compensation of 4 million rupees (RM19,550) to the families of those killed by lightning.
At least 243 died by lightning in 2024 and 275 the year earlier, according to the state government.
India’s eastern region, including Bihar, is prone to annual floods that kill dozens and displace hundreds of thousands of people during peak monsoon season. — AFP
