Lightning kills 2 children in UP's Ballia

A 14-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were killed as lightning struck them in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place in Maldah village in the afternoon when the boy, Sudhanshu, and his neighbour Pragati had gone to a farm field, they said.

As it started raining, they stood under a mango tree when the lightning strike killed them, police said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over loss of lives in Fatehpur, Ballia and Kasganj districts of the state in lightning, unseasonal rains and hailstorm.

In a statement issued by the state government, Adityanath announced Rs 4-lakh ex-gratia each to the kin of the deceased persons and adequate medical treatment to the injured.

The district magistrates have been directed to evaluate the crop losses, and submit the report to the government, the statement said.

The statement, however, did not mention district-wise death toll from rain-related incidents.