India: Lightning Strikes Kill 19 in Bihar

At least 19 people were killed and seven others injured due to lightning strikes in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Xinhua reported yesterday citing All India Radio (AIR).

Heavy rains and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning lashed the state over the past 24 hours, affecting 10 districts. Reports indicate that most of the casualties occurred when lightning struck people working in fields and taking shelter under trees during the downpour.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for the next 24 hours, predicting heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in the northern, southeast, and south-central parts of Bihar.

Lightning strikes are a common occurrence during the monsoon season in India, and hundreds often lose their lives in such incidents every year as the seasonal rains set in.