With the people still not out of the shock of earthquake that struck on last Saturday, now thundering and light storm hit Uttar Pradesh, claiming at least 40 lives besides leaving over 100 others injured, on early Tuesday morning.
Normal life was also affected due to the storm leading to road and rail blockade. Reports of trees felling on roads and rail tracks were pouring in from different parts while overhead electric wires also fell on the tracks, leading to disruption of the traffic and power failure in many areas. The fresh storm has also wreaked havoc for farmers who are still reeling under unseasonal rains.
A report from Gorakhpur confirmed that due to the hailstorm, the quake relief camp set up at the Gorakhpur University was destructed. However, later the camp was shifted inside the halls of the university. Officials said that three buses loaded with quake affected people have reached Gorakhpur on Tuesday morning and 27 more buses are expected from Kathmandu by the evening.
The storm also distrupted the rail traffic between Kanpur and lucknow due to snapping of over head electric wire. The trains were stranded at different places and it was rectified after five hours. Due to the snapping of the wires over two dozen trains including New Delhi-lucknow Shatabadi Express reached lucknow two hours late. Other trains were also running late in the state due to the hailstorm.
A major rail mishap was averted when an electric wire fell on the AC Superfast express bound for lucknow near Moradabad. The wires got entangled in the wheels of the train and the driver had to apply emergency brakes to stop it. A report from Varanasi said that a pantoon bridge on river Ganga near Ramnagar has been damaged in the storm.
Meanwhile, four people died in Rae Bareli after lightning struck them at Purwa village under Bhadohar police station area. While in Amethi three persons including two women were killed in a house collapse in Munshiganj area. A report from Kasganj said that five people were buried alive in seperate incidents of house collapse in the district due to storm.
Two people were also injured in the incident. While two — Anshul and Babita died in Soro police station area, Udayveer and a 12-year -old girl died in Rajnagar area. In Pratapgarh, Anupama (22), Komal (7), and Suman Devi (65), were killed when lightening struck in the district. Reports of death of two people each came from Kanpur, Jaunpur, Kushinagar and Mau while one death each were reported from Ambedkar Nagar, Hardoi, Kanpur Dehat, Farrukhabad, Gonda, Balrampur, Pratapgarh, Azamgarh, Deoria, Bijnore, Sultanpur,Amroha, Pilibhit and lakhimpur.
In lucknow three people were struck by lightning. District Magistrate Rajshekhar said that two people died in Para area while one in Krishnanagar locality. DM has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 7 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Reports of more than 100 people injured in different districts due to house collapse and other incidents during the hail storm also poured in.