Recent rains in Uttar Pradesh have claimed several lives. Chief Minister Yogi has taken cognisance of the loss of human lives, livestock, and economic assets caused by excessive rainfall and lightning strikes. He has expressed his condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased. The Chief Minister has also directed officials to assess the damage, including loss of life, livestock, and economic assets, and ensure the disbursement of compensation within 24 hours.
He instructed senior officials to visit the field and provide all possible assistance to the affected families. CM Yogi emphasised the need for officials to engage with the affected families and extend every possible support. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Deaths of two women in Sant Kabir Nagar
According to officials, two women in Sant Kabir Nagar died after being struck by lightning in separate villages. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Arun Kumar reported that Chandni (17) from Katya village and Varshana (60) from Pratappur village, both in Mehdawal Tehsil, died while working in their fields. He added that reports have been received and government assistance will be provided to their families.
It is worth noting that prior to this, at least eight people had already lost their lives in separate incidents caused by heavy rainfall. Officials stated that these deaths occurred in rain-related incidents across Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Bulandshahr, Shamli, and Ghaziabad.
Teenager dies after lightning strike in Kushinagar
Meanwhile, in Thadibhar village under the limits of Vishanpura police station area of Kushinagar, 14-year-old Rahul Kumar died after being struck by lightning while standing on the edge of a field. The incident occurred just as his mother was handing him vegetables she had harvested. Police stated that the family refused to have a post-mortem examination conducted.
Three died in wall collapse in Bulandshahar
Additionally, three people died and three others were injured following a wall collapse at Mundakheda village in Bulandshahr amidst heavy rain. Circle Officer (CO) Shobhit Kumar stated that the wall collapsed around 5 pm, trapping six people who were living in temporary tents pitched along the edge of a vacant plot. The three injured people have been admitted to the hospital and are undergoing treatment.
Man dies after tin shed wall collapses in Shamli
In Shamli district, 49-year-old Shahid died and his two sons, Aman (17) and Nauman (15), were critically injured when the wall of a tin shed collapsed during heavy rain in Thanabhawan town. Station House Officer (SHO) Bijendra Singh stated that the police arrived at the scene immediately and rushed all three to the hospital, where Shahid was declared dead. His sons are currently undergoing treatment.
Girl dies after being swept into drain in Ghaziabad
Meanwhile, three-year-old Pallavi drowned after being swept into a water-filled drain outside her home in Sarvodaya Colony, under the jurisdiction of the Vijay Nagar police station in Ghaziabad. Assistant Commissioner of Police Upasana Pandey stated that the child fell into rainwater that had accumulated outside her house and lost her life. Additional Municipal Commissioner Jang Bahadur Yadav said that the deceased's family would receive assistance and compensation in accordance with the rules.
Rain across the state until July 11
The Meteorological Department has forecast widespread rainfall across the state until July 11, with temperatures likely to drop by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next two to three days. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Lucknow, very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in the districts of Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Pilibhit, Sambhal, and Badaun, while heavy to extremely heavy rain is forecast for several other districts in western and central Uttar Pradesh.
Waterlogging in Ghaziabad
Heavy rains disrupted normal life in Ghaziabad, causing widespread waterlogging, traffic jams, and a road cave-in incident in Vasundhara Sector 13. A section of a residential road near an under-construction basement collapsed, causing a parked car and a scooter to fall into the resulting pit; a nearby electricity pole also toppled into the hole. In view of the IMD's heavy rain forecast issued on Thursday evening, the Ghaziabad district administration ordered the closure of schools affiliated with all boards on Friday.
Waterlogging in Noida and Prayagraj
Meanwhile, knee-deep water accumulated in several areas of Noida, vehicles broke down on waterlogged roads, and long traffic jams were reported. The Transport Department office in Noida's Sector 33 was inundated. Similar flooding was also reported at the Civil Lines police station and the women's police station in Prayagraj.
(Written by Jitisha Parihar. She is an intern with IndiaTV Digital)
