At least 125 killed as dust storms batter India
  • 6 years ago
Powerful dust storms have wreaked havoc across India, leaving at least 125 people dead and more than 200 others injured.
Ro Aram reports.
The fierce dust storms started on Wednesday hitting the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab.
They were accompanied by severe winds and rapid-fire lightning strikes, which have left a trail of destruction.
Disaster officials in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh said the region was hammered by more than 41,000 lightning strikes on Wednesday.
The extent of the damage, however, was most noticeable the day after, with houses flattened, power lines brought down and trees uprooted.
Livestock in the hardest hit areas were almost completely wiped out and schools and businesses were closed.
Many of the deaths happened while people were sleeping, being crushed by toppling roofs and collapsing walls.
Rescuers are still scouring the rubble to search for any survivors.
However, the worst is far from over as residents are bracing for another storm, which weather authorities warn could come in the next few days over a wider area.
Similar storms claim many lives each year in India, but officials say this one was the most severe in recent decades, mostly due to the falling debris.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement Thursday expressing his condolences and urged state governments to provide assistance to those who need it.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.