Deadly Monsoons hit India: Lightning Claims 32 Lives in Just One Day

Northern India has some respite from its dry weather, with its yearly monsoon rains and storms arriving, and the state of Uttar Pradesh received more than its share. Deadly lightning bolts during the monsoon claimed up to 32 lives and injured dozens more. 

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Monsoon rains may offer much-needed water during the hot summer months in India, but it is also the deadliest weather event in the country, claiming thousands of lives every year. 

32 lives across 10 cities

The northern state of Uttar Pradesh saw over thirty lives taken by lightning strikes across 10 cities and districts, as was reported on Sunday. 

Its that time of the year again. Floods , lightning deaths, landslides and soil erosion all over us.

— Anupam Roy (@AnupamRoy_ar7) July 22, 2019

The state's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the families of those who passed away and ordered each district administration to offer compensation to all of the grieving families. 

Adityanath also ordered that sufficient and adequate medical assistance be provided to the injured. 

Yogi Adityanath visited victims, promising them that the state of Uttar Pradesh will look after them by providing proper medical care:

सोनभद्र की घटना में घायल व्यक्तियों से आज मुलाकात की और उन्हें आश्वासन दिया कि उन्हें समुचित चिकित्सकीय सुविधा दिलाना उत्तर प्रदेश सरकार की जिम्मेदारी है और सरकार इसके लिए सदैव प्रतिबद्ध है। सम्बंधित अधिकारियों को उनकी समुचित देखभाल सुनिश्चित करने के लिए निर्देश भी दिए। pic.twitter.com/iDQR5IK1n8

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 21, 2019

Uttar Pradesh was not the only state affected by the deadly rainfalls. Another northern Indian state in the West of the country, Rajasthan, also experienced heavy monsoon rains and lightning strikes on the same day, injuring 26 rural workers.

Hospital treatment was provided to all those injured, and 18 of the patients were released the same day, with eight women remaining in hospital care for further treatment. 

The state of Bihar, which borders Nepal, endured a similar fate when just two days earlier nine people died due to lightning strikes. Eight of the victims were children.

What is the monsoon season?

Monsoon season in India and most of South East Asia spans from June until October each year. Lightning is very common during the monsoons, as well as flooding from overflowing rivers. 

Monsoon lightning strikes kill more people every year in India than any other extreme weather event. Between 2001 and 2014, a survey gathered the information that 40 percent of all weather-related deaths came from the monsoons' lightning bolts. 

In India, up to 2,500 lives are claimed each year because of lightning strikes.