28 killed in rain-related incidents in UP

A total of 28 people, including women and children, were killed in various rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh in the last 24 hours, officials said on Friday.

The state has been witnessing rain and thunderstorms since Thursday.

"In Uttar Pradesh, 28 people have died in incidents related to rain and hailstorm in the past 24 hours," Information Department Director Shishir said here.

Those killed include six each in Sitapur and Lakhimpur Kheri, three each in Jaunpur and Barabanki, two in Sonbhadra and one each in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Siddharth Nagar, Ayodhya, Chandauli, Kanpur Dehat, Mirzapur and Balrampur, he said.

In Sitapur district, two girls and a woman were among those killed, the officials said.

In one incident, a man, identified as Ram Prasad (55), died after a tree fell on him during a hailstorm. He had taken shelter under a tin shed in Sidhauli police station area during the hailstorm, they said.

In another incident, a 15-year-old girl in Rampurkalan police station area died as a wall collapsed on her due to rains, police said.

Another 14-year-old girl was killed in Sadarpur police station area after a tree fell on her during heavy rains and thunderstorm, they said.

A man and his son were struck by lightning in Sandana police station area. The boy later died at the Community Health Centre.

A 40-year-old woman, identified as Daya, also died in Sandana police station area after a wall of her house collapsed on her due to heavy rains, the police said, adding that an unidentified person was also killed in a rain-related incident in the district.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the concerned officials to make proper assessment of losses due to hailstorm, thunderstorm and lightning on Thursday and immediately provide compensation to the affected persons, a senior official said.

The chief minister has directed the concerned district magistrates to provide a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those killed in rain-related incidents, the official said.

Adityanath has also asked the officials to assess the losses suffered by farmers and extend immediate help to them.