Nine killed as strong winds, heavy rain lash UP

At least nine people were killed and many injured when gusty winds and heavy rain lashed parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The inclement weather was witnessed in Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bahraich, Jhansi and many other parts of the state.

Two people were killed in Natwakhera village in the the state capital when lightning struck them. An aged person died in Hapur when he was thrown off the roof by gusty winds.

Two people were also killed in Etah when a wall of a house caved in and they were buried under the debris.

A young man was killed in Basti when a duststorm ripped off a high-tension wire and it fell on him. A senior citizen was struck by lightning in Amethi and died on the spot.

Two people were killed in a wall collapse in Pratapgarh while five persons were injured when a tree fell on a house in Lakhimpur Kheri, officials said.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a financial compensation of Rs.7 lakh for each bereaved family. Teams have also been constituted to assess the damage caused by the inclement weather, a state government spokesman said.