LUCKNOW: Thirteen people were killed and at least 28 others injured due to powerful dust storms and thunderstorms in different parts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Sitapur, Gonda, Shravasti, Faizabad, and Basti districts, along with other adjoining areas of the state, were affected.
Of the thirteen people who died, six people were killed in Sitapur, three people died in Gonda, two in Kaushambi, and one person each in Faizabad and Hardoi. 17 people were injured in Sitapur, while 11 were hurt in Faizabad.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered district magistrates of the affected areas to ensure proper treatment to all those injured due to severe weather conditions on Wednesday. He also ordered officials to compensate the families of those killed in the storms, and asked for it to be done on priority.
The weather department in Lucknow had issued a warning earlier in the day cautioning people of thunderstorms. It had also issued a warning for dust storms in parts of UP.
According to MeT department officials, wind speeds went over 75 Km/h. This lasted for more than two hours.
This comes less than two weeks after fifteen people were killed and nine others injured in similar thunderstorms and dust storms across UP. More than a dozen people had died in Moradabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, and Sambhal districts on June 2.
Prasanta Patnaik