11 killed in lightning strikes in UP; several rivers in spate

Eleven persons were killed in separate incidents of lightning strikes even rains in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours drove several rivers above the danger mark.
Eight persons were killed due to lightning strikes in Gorakhpur, two in Sitapur and one in Faizabad in past 24 hours, Relief Commissioner Venkateshwarlu told reporters here.
So far, a total of 74 persons have been killed in the state in rain-related incidents, including by drowning and due to houses collapsing under heavy showers.
Meanwhile, according to a Central Water Commission (CWC) report, rivers like the Sharda, Quano, Rapti and Budhi Rapti were flowing above the danger mark.

Sharda had breached the danger line at Palia Kalan although it was no longer rising whereas the Rapti continued to inch upwards between Balrampur to Gorakhpur.
The Burhi Rapti was flowing above the danger mark at Siddhartnagar but was now static while the Quano at Gonda and Mukhlispur (Santkabirnagar) was flowing way above the danger mark, the CWC report said.

But the CWC report added that the Ganga, which had been maintaining an upward trend till yesterday, has started receding between Ankinghat and Kanpur and was static at Fatehgarh where erosion caused by it in three tehsils had posed a threat.

Jhansi received 54.2mm rainfall in the past 24 hours and showers in Allahabad measured 36.8mm.
According to the relief commissioner, rescue operations were on in full swing in a total of 572 villages in 12 districts which had been affected by floods.
As many as 134 villages in Lakhimpur Kheri, 125 in Bijnore, 90 in Farrukhabad, 77 in Muzaffarnagar, 52 in Barabanki, 32 in Sitapur, 17 in Aligarh, 16 in Badaun, 10 each in Bahraich and Hapur, eight in Faizabad and one in Shahjahanpur had been hit by the floods.