Patna: At least 16 people were killed in lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in nine districts of Bihar on Sunday, officials said.
Four persons were killed in Gaya, three in Purnia, two each in Begusarai & Jamui, and one each in Patna, Saharsa, East Champaran, Madhepura and Darbhanga districts, a Disaster Management Department official said.
Four people were killed in three separate incidents in the Gaya district.
A young man died due to lightning in Aanti police station area. While two middle-aged women Anarwa Devi (50) and Prasadi Manjhi (40) were killed in Fatehpur area while they were working at a field. 26-year-old Mintu Kumar also succumbed to death after being hit by a lightning strike in the district.
Meanwhile, a woman Pato Devi (43) and a young girl Kareena Kumari (13) died in two separate lightning strikes in Jamui district.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the death of 10 persons due to lightning strikes, an official release said, adding "he was with the families of victims of lightning in the hour of disaster".
READ:| Three family members died in Lightning strikes in Bihar
Mr Kumar directed payment of Rs 4 lakh compensation to next of the families of those dead.
The chief minister appealed to the people of the state to remain vigilant and stay indoors as far as possible during the bad weather.
He also asked people to follow advisories issued by the Disaster Management Department in this regard.
More than 160 people have died due to lightning strikes in the state in the past three weeks.
The highest number of 83 people were killed in lightning strikes in 23 districts on June 25.
Also, as many as nine people were killed in lightning strikes across four districts of Bihar on July 10.
Districts from where lightning deaths were reported included Araria (5), Purnia (2), Kishanganj (1) and Banka (1).
