DUSTSTORM KILLS 15; MORE COMING, SAYS MET DEPT

LUCKNOW:At least 15 people were killed and several others injured, besides property worth lakhs of rupees was damaged by a duststorm which hit several districts of western UP on Friday.

The Met department had issued a warning of thunder storm, duststorm on Friday itself but despite that lives were lost and property damaged. It has issued a warning of similar disturbances in the next 24 hours.

As per police, seven people were killed and three others injured when a building collapsed due to storm in Moradabad. Three other were killed in Sambhal district. Two deaths each were reported from Muzaffarnagar and Meerut while a person was killed in Amroha.

Director of UP met department JP Gupta said, “The adverse climate activity was caused due to local changes in climatic condition.” Administration of the respective districts have started relief exercise to help those affected by the dust storm.

UP has witnessed hostile climatic conditions on several occasions since last month. Over 70 people have lost their lives due to duststorms/thundersstorms in the last one month, according to government officials.

Seventeen of these deaths were reported in districts of central UP earlier this week. The state government has assured financial assistance to the families affected in the storm.