Lucknow: Violent dust storms, heavy rain and lightning strikes swept across several districts of northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state on Wednesday evening, killing at least 104 people and injuring more than 50 in last 24 hours, officials said, as rescue teams worked through the night to clear roads, restore power and assist stranded residents.
The worst-hit areas were in the Varanasi, Prayagraj and Kanpur divisions, where strong winds uprooted trees, snapped electricity poles and damaged homes, disrupting transportation and power supply across large parts of the state.
According to state authorities, fatalities included 18 deaths in Bhadohi district, 17 in Prayagraj, 15 in Mirzapur and 10 in Fatehpur. Several other districts, including Unnao, Badaun, Bareilly, Sitapur, Rae Bareli and Chandauli, also reported deaths linked to collapsing structures, falling trees and lightning strikes.
Narendra N. Srivastava, an official with the Uttar Pradesh Relief and Revenue Department, said emergency response teams had been deployed across affected districts.
“District administrations have been instructed to provide immediate relief to affected families and ensure compensation is distributed without delay,” Srivastava said. “Rescue personnel, police teams and local authorities are continuously monitoring vulnerable areas and clearing damaged infrastructure.”
He said preliminary assessments indicated extensive damage to homes, crops and electricity infrastructure in rural parts of the state.
In Prayagraj, residents described scenes of panic as strong winds tore through neighborhoods and roads were blocked by uprooted trees.
“The storm came suddenly and the sky turned completely dark within minutes,” said Ram Kishore, a resident of Phulpur area in Prayagraj district. “Tin roofs were flying and people ran indoors. We could hear trees falling throughout the evening.”
Savitri Devi, whose mud house was partially damaged in Bhadohi district, said her family narrowly escaped injury.
“We rushed outside when the walls started shaking because of the wind,” she said. “Our roof collapsed moments later. We spent the night at a relative’s house.”
Police and disaster response teams used chainsaws and cranes to remove fallen trees from highways and railway tracks in multiple districts.
“We received dozens of distress calls related to fallen trees, damaged houses and electricity hazards,” said a senior police officer in Fatehpur district who was not authorized to speak publicly. “Teams worked continuously to clear roads and help move injured people to hospitals.”
Rail traffic on the busy Delhi-Howrah route was disrupted for nearly 90 minutes after a tree fell on overhead electric lines in Fatehpur district, officials said. Around 22 trains traveling through Kanpur were affected before services resumed in the evening.
Train operations on the Prayagraj-Jaunpur section were also suspended after a large tree collapsed across both railway tracks between Tharwai and Sarai Chandi stations.
“Our priority was passenger safety,” a railway official in Prayagraj said. “Technical teams restored the overhead systems and cleared the tracks as quickly as possible despite difficult weather conditions.”
The storms brought temporary relief from intense heat in some areas, but southern districts of the state, including Bundelkhand, continued to experience severe temperatures.
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Banda recorded the highest temperature in the state at 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit), while Jhansi registered 44.5 C (112.1 F) and Prayagraj recorded 43.5 C (110.3 F), according to the Regional Meteorological Center in Lucknow.
Senior meteorologist Atul Kumar Singh said temperatures were expected to rise gradually again beginning Thursday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to complete relief work within 24 hours and ordered compensation for victims affected by unseasonal rain, storms and lightning.
In a statement, Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of those killed and instructed district officials to ensure immediate medical assistance, food and shelter for affected residents.
