Up storm toll rises to 16, fresh storm warning

The death toll in the storm that hit parts of Uttar Pradesh last night has risen to 16, an official said today as the Met office issued another bad weather alert for the state.

"Four deaths were reported from Etawah, three each from Mathura and Aligarh, two each in Firozabad and Agra and one death each in Hathras and Kanpur Dehat last night," an official spokesperson said.

Twenty-seven others were injured in the calamity which affected nine districts, mostly in western Uttar Pradesh that had also borne the brunt of a previous storm on May 2-3.

The official said seven houses were damaged in last night's storm. Thirty-seven head of cattle perished.

A weather office spokesman today warned of more thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds on Saturday and Sunday at isolated places in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

He said a dust storm too was "very likely" at certain places in western UP.

On Sunday, thunderstorms accompanied by squalls with a wind speed of 50-70 kmph were very likely at isolated places in the state, he said.

Last week's storm had killed 134 people and injured over 400 in five states, the Home Ministry had said. Uttar Pradesh was the hardest hit with 80 deaths, most of them in Agra district.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today issued fresh directives to the administration to speed up relief operations.

An official release said he asked the ministers-in-charge and district magistrates to visit the affected districts.

He said the assessment of the damage should be done immediately and repair work must begin at the earliest.