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Thunderstorms, Lightning Kill 21 in North India
Thunderstorms, lightning and unusually heavy rains killed at least 21 people overnight in India's most populous Uttar Pradesh state, police said Sunday.
In Unnao, about 270 miles southeast of New Delhi, an alcohol factory warehouse collapsed during a thunderstorm, killing eight people, police said.
"The accident occurred when laborers took shelter in a warehouse built in 1875 and high velocity wind resulted in (the) caving in of the entire roof and walls," Superintendent of Police Anand Swaroop told The Associated Press.
Three others died of their injuries Sunday, he said.
In another part of the state, six people were killed when they were struck by lightning in Bareilly, 130 miles east of New Delhi. Four others were killed by lightning in the neighboring Badaun district, the state home ministry said.
The thunderstorms and torrents led to severe power outages in the state. Trees lay uprooted on the roads in several parts of the province and drainage systems were choked as sewage water overflowed.
The rains in Uttar Pradesh, located in the northern plains, are not related to the monsoon rains that arrived in southernmost India on Thursday, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
The Indian Meteorological Department in New Delhi has predicted a normal monsoon this year.
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