Heavy lightning struck across India in Rajasthan, UP, MP, taking 68 lives, CM Gehlot will give 5 lakhs, PM Modi 2 lakhs exgratia.
Amid heavy torrential monsoon rains with lashing lightning strikes, the death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 41 on Monday, 7 people died in Madhya Pradesh. 20 persons also died due to lightning that struck in Rajasthan on Sunday. PM Modi expressed his condolences for the deaths and has announced Rs 2 lakh exgratia each for kin of the departed.
Pouring rain in Rajasthan on Sunday unleashed lightning that claimed 20 lives. Tragically, a total of 68 people died in separate electricity bolts across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan on Sunday and the death toll due to heavy lightning in Uttar Pradesh climbed up to 41 on Monday, seven people were reported to be dead in Madhya Pradesh.
Lightning strikes claimed 20 lives in Rajasthan on Sunday. Among the dead, seven were children from Kota and Dholpur districts. Over 10 more people have been reported to suffer injuries.
Parts of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj also received rainfall where 14 people were killed in separate incidents after being struck by lightning. Five people each died in Kanpur Dehat and Fatehpur, four people in Kaushambi, three in Firozabad, one each in Unnao, Hamirpur, and Sonbhadra. Two each died in Kanpur Nagar and one each lost their lives in Pratapgarh Hardoi and Mirzapur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced exgratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed due to the lightning strikes in all the three states and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the family members of those who died in lightning strikes. Out of this, Rs 4 lakh will be given from the emergency relief fund and 1 lakh from the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF).
CM Gehlot, former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, former CM Vasundhara Raje had also expressed their condolences on the deaths.
Lightning Safety Precautions:
Safety precautions outdoors
When thunder roars, go indoors. Find a safe, enclosed shelter. Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.
Don’t forget the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
If you are caught in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. The most important action is to remove yourself from danger. Crouching or getting low to the ground can reduce your chances of being struck but does not remove you from danger. If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions may reduce your risk:
Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.
Never shelter under an isolated tree.
Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (such as barbed wire fences, power lines, or windmills).
Stay away from concrete floors or walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.
Safety precautions indoors
Avoid contact with water during a thunderstorm. Do NOT bathe, shower, wash dishes, or have any other contact with water during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through plumbing.
Avoid using electronic equipment of all types. Lightning can travel through electrical systems and radio and television reception systems.
Avoid using corded phones. Corded phones are NOT safe to use during a thunderstorm. However, cordless or cellular phones are safe to use during a storm.
Avoid concrete floors and walls. Do NOT lie on concrete floors during a thunderstorm. Also, avoid leaning on concrete walls. Lightning can travel through any metal wires or bars in concrete walls or flooring.