Lucknow:Â Dust storms hit various parts of UP, leaving 15 people dead and 28 injured, an official spokesman said today.
“Fifteen people were killed in the dust storm (since yesterday). Six died in Sitapur, three each in Gonda and Kaushambi and one each in Faizabad, Hardoi and Chitrakoot,” the spokesman said.
He also confirmed that 17 people were injured in Sitapur and 11 in Faizabad.
The weather department has warned that thunder squalls are “very likely” at isolated places over the state tomorrow, while rain and thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are “very likely” at isolated places during the next two days.
Taking note of the casualties in the latest bout of the storm, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the district magistrates concerned to ensure that proper treatment is accorded to the injured.
He also directed that compensation be paid to the kin of those killed and said no laxity on the part of the administration would be tolerated.
Expressing grief over the deaths, he said that the state government would extend all possible help to those hit by dust storms and related incidents, according to the spokesman.
According to the weather department, rain and thundershowers occurred at isolated places over east UP while the weather was dry over western part of the state.
Agra recorded the highest temperature of 44.9 degrees celsius in the state.
The state was swept by three major dust storms last month that left over 130 people dead.
On 13 May 2018, 39 people died in various districts including Bareilly, Barabanki, Bulandshahr and Lakhimpur Kheri districts.
On 9 May, 2018, a severe storm left 18 dead and 27 others injured. Five people died in Etawah district, three each in Mathura, Aligarh and Agra, two in Firozabad and one each in Hathras and Kanpur Dehat.
Thunderstorms and lightning on 2nd and 3rd May left 80 dead in the state, most of them in Agra district.
Another deadly dust storm hit the state in the first week of June leaving 17 dead and 11 others injured. Most of the deaths were caused due to trees falling and houses collapsing.
Moradabad bore the brunt of the storm, with as many as seven deaths reported from the district, followed by three deaths from Sambhal.
(PTI)