Bihar: Lightning kills 6, injures 10 others

Patna, March 21 (IANS) A sudden change in weather has disrupted normal life across Bihar, with storms, heavy rainfall, hail, and lightning continuing from Friday into Saturday.

The severe conditions have caused widespread damage across multiple districts, claiming six lives and leaving at least ten others injured due to lightning strikes.

Rainfall has been reported in several districts, including Patna, Bagaha, Bettiah, Banka, Gopalganj, Raxaul, and Khagaria.

In Patna, heavy showers were accompanied by hailstorms, while Raxaul is facing severe waterlogging.

Lightning strikes have also damaged trees, property, and agricultural fields.

In Gaya district, two farmers died after being struck by lightning in the Dumaria and Wazirganj areas.

In Jamui, a 15-year-old student lost her life due to a lightning strike in the Chakai area.

In Mokama (Patna district), ten labourers sustained burn injuries after lightning struck near them; they are currently undergoing treatment and are reported to be out of danger.

In Araria, two children died, and another was injured after a wall collapsed during the storm.

In Kishanganj, a woman died due to lightning, while a poultry farm incident led to the death of around 4,000 chickens.

Fires caused by lightning strikes on palm trees have also been reported in Samastipur, Patna, and Muzaffarpur.

The adverse weather has severely impacted agriculture, with maize and wheat crops suffering extensive damage from strong winds, rain, and hail, raising concerns among farmers.

The Meteorological Department has issued alerts for 25 districts across the state.

An “Orange Alert” has been declared for four districts, warning of wind speeds up to 60 km/h along with lightning strikes.

A “Yellow Alert” has been issued for the remaining 21 districts. Temperatures are expected to drop by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius over the next 48 hours.

In Sheohar, continuous rainfall and strong winds over the past 24 hours have led to widespread waterlogging in both urban and rural areas.

In the Kherwa Darp Panchayat, a pandal set up for Navratri celebrations collapsed due to the adverse weather conditions.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported in that incident.

Authorities have urged residents to remain alert, avoid open areas during storms, and take necessary precautions as the unstable weather pattern continues across Bihar.

--IANS

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