Forty-two people died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan in a severe storm that affected several other parts of north and north west India on Wednesday night, The Times of India reported. The storm that lasted for four hours was accompanied by dust, strong winds and heavy rain.
In Uttar Pradesh, 14 people died in Agra while four each were killed in Mathura and Firozabad districts. In Rajasthan, 14 people were killed in Dholpur and six in Bharatpur district. Most of the people died after the roof or walls of their houses collapsed in the storm while they were sleeping. Both states have promised to provide compensation to the families of the deceased.
More than 200 people were injured and about 600 electricity poles were damaged in the storm, leading to severe power cuts. The storm also affected the movement of at least 25 trains and killed nearly 100 cattle in Uttar Pradesh. Hailstorms in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh damaged crops, leading to protests by farmers on Thursday morning.
In Agra, the thunderstorm even brought a minaret at the entry gate of the Taj Mahal complex crashing down on Wednesday night.
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