More than 100 people have died from lightning in the state in the past week.
Patna:
At least 18 people were killed after being struck by lightning in Bihar today, officials said. Deaths have been reported in five districts, Bhojpur and Saran each accounting for the highest number of four deaths, said the Department of Disaster Management.
The other affected districts are Kaimur, Patna and Buxar, the statement said.
The incident occurred one day after eight people were killed in lightning strikes in five districts of the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each victim, an official statement said.
The chief minister also called on people to stay alert and stay inside as much as possible during bad weather.
More than 100 people have died from lightning in the state in the past week.
Meanwhile, several meteorological experts have estimated that a combination of above normal temperatures in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and humid winds from the southern Bay of Bengal have led to “instability” in the atmosphere, resulting in large-scale lightning incidents that have killed more than 150 people in the two states in the past two weeks.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said states were alerted to the impending weather situation.
“We send information to the emergency center of the state concerned. In addition, our regional weather center in Patna also shares information with the state disaster management authority, the districts and the media. “, did he declare.
Mohapatra, however, said there is room for improvement to ensure that information reaches the last person.
With PTI inputs
