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India – At least, twenty-four people were killed by lightning strikes and about 23 injured in rain-related incidents in the western Indian state of Gujarat over the past two days, the government officials said.
The state was hit by heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms and hail on Sunday and Monday, with some places receiving up to 144 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending on Monday, according to state government data.
The rains caused damage to houses and loss of livestock across the state. At least 40 livestock were also killed.
Warga berbelanja di sebuah pasar di Mumbai, India.
- AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade.
"We will soon start a survey to assess the losses suffered," Gujarat Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said on Monday, adding that compensation would be given to the victims based on the results of the survey.
One person died in each district in Ahmedabad, Amrel, Anand, Kheda, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Panchmahal, Patan, Botad, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Surat and Surendranagar.
In Tapi region, two people lost their lives due to lightning strikes.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that rainfall will continue in some parts of the state on Monday.
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- ANTARA FOTO/Dedhez Anggara
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah, who along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails from Gujarat, said he was "deeply saddened" by the tragic deaths, in a post on social media platform X.
Gujarat is no stranger to rain-related disasters, but rainstorms of such magnitude are not expected in the state during the winter months, and heavy rains catch many off guard.
In August 2020, 14 people died in the state in just two days in various incidents related to heavy rains and floods. A year earlier, in August 2019, 31 people died in the state in rain-related incidents.
