PM condoles deaths across Bihar due to thunderstorm
PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday expressed grief over the death of 33 people due to thunderstorm across Bihar earlier this week.
According to a statement issued by the office of chief minister Nitish Kumar, as many as 33 people were killed in incidents related to the thunderstorm that began on Thursday afternoon and continued for a few hours.
Ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh has been announced to the next of the kin of each of the deceased. In his condolatory tweet, the prime minister expressed “deep distress” over the loss of lives, prayed for the bereaved families, and expressed satisfaction over relief and rescue work by the local administration, under the state government’s supervision.
Shah also took to Twitter and expressed similar sentiments.
Bhagalpur accounted for seven fatalities, followed by Muzaffarpur (six), Saran and Lakhisarai (three each), and Munger and Samastipur (two each). One death each has been reported in Nalanda, Begusarai, Khagaria, Jamui, Katihar, Araria, Jehanabad, Purnea, Darbhanga, and Banka districts.
Meanwhile, several parts of the state are likely to experience heavy rain accompanied by high-velocity winds and thunderstorm activities during the next 24 hours, said officials of Patna Meteorological Centre on Saturday.
Light to moderate rain occurred at many places over north-east parts and isolated places over north-west, northcentral and south-east parts of the state, the MeT office said.
Kamini Kumari, an official at Patna Meteorological Centre, said, “Easterly and south-easterly winds are dominating over the state up to 0.9km above mean sea level. An east-west trough runs from cyclonic circulation over northwest Rajasthan to east Assam at 0.9km above mean sea level across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Meghalaya.”
“Under the influence, the state is likely to experience rain, thunderstorm, and lightning activities. Gusty winds at the speed of 30-40 km are likely to prevail in the state”, she added.