Tourists taking selfies were among the reported 68 people killed in multiple lightning storms across India yesterday – with children among the dead.
At least 16 people died at the 12th Century Amer Fort, a popular tourist attraction on the outskirts of Rajasthan capital Jaipur, after lightning struck a watchtower near the site on Sunday.
“As it started raining visitors took cover at a watchtower near the fort,” Jairam, a local police officer who identified himself by only one name, said today.
“Lightning struck the watchtower killing 11 people on the spot and injuring others.”
Most of the people among the dead at the fort are understood to have been youths, with 27 reportedly on the attraction’s tower or wall when the strike hit, leading some to jump off.
(Image: NurPhoto/PA Images)
Seven children were killed by lightning strikes in two other incidents in the state on Sunday night, Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Twitter.
Heavy strikes in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also saw a catastrophic number of fatalities with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his condolences.
The Uttar Pradesh death toll mounted to 41 as of this morning, while seven people were reported to be dead in Madhya Pradesh, reports India Today.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A total of 20 lives were lost in Rajasthan, including seven children from the Kota and Dholpur districts, while a further 10 were injured, the publication adds.
Two men took shelter under a tree, but died on the spot after they were struck by lightning in Firozabad city, reports the BBC.
As a result Mr Modi has announced ‘ex-gratia’ payments to the families of the deceased across the three states, as well as those who were injured.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed in a tweet his condolences to the families of the deceased.
In a loose translation from Hindi, he wrote: “Many people have lost their lives due to lightning in some areas of Rajasthan.
“This is very saddening. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.”
Lightning and thunderstorms are common in the rainy season in India, which runs from June to September.
Lightning strikes kill some 2,000 Indians on average every year, according to official data.
