Uttar Pradesh: 19 dies in hail, dust storm; 48 injured

As many as 19 people died while 48 got injured in hail, dust-storms and lightening in the 12 districts mainly of Western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. According to government data, 8 animals have also died.

The official data of the six districts in western Uttar Pradesh including Mainpuri, Kasganj, Etah, Budaun, Farrukhabad and Moradabad showed that 6 people died in the Mainpuri district alone while 20 got injured. Three people each have died in both Kasganj and Etah district. One person died in Moradabad district due to lightning while two got injured in Farrukhabad due to hail and dust-storm.

The long dry spell coupled with hot weather conditions contributed to increasing the surface temperature which when combined with unusually high western disturbances and cyclonic activity resulted in hail and dust storm. This brought some relief from the intense heat-wave with temperatures dipping in north India. "We are in regular touch with the weather department which gives us warning at least 3 hours in advance. We have also formed a WhatsApp group through which we spread the warning in districts to alert people of the approaching natural calamity," said GD Priyadarshi, Relief Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh.

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