Lightning strikes kill eight in UP; woman washed away in TN

Eight people, including three women and two children, were killed by lighting strikes in different of parts of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

Sources said the deaths were reported from the Allahabad and Sonebhadra districts. Over a dozen people were injured in lightning strike in Siddharth Nagar, Kaushambi and some nearby districts.

Several parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh were reportedly lashed by moderate to heavy rain, even as the flood situation in the state took a turn for the worse and the water levels of major rivers continued to rise.

The Ganga was reportedly rising at several places while the Ghaghra was flowing above the danger mark at some places along its course.

The toll due to rain-related incidents, including those of house collapse and lightning, this season has reached 86 in the state.

17 rescued in TN
A woman software engineer was washed away in flash floods at the famous Courtallam falls and 17 tourists were rescued, officials said on Sunday. Meena (27) was washed away in flash floods at around 5 pm on Saturday. Seventeen tourists were rescued, forest department officials said.

Meena’s body was later found stuck in between rocks about 500 metres away from the falls and was retrieved.

Over 3,500 tourists were at the falls on Saturday as it was Independence Day and officials alerted them, thus averting possible major casualties, officials said. The flash floods were a rare occurrence not seen in the last two decades and lasted about 15 minutes due to a sudden gush of water after heavy rainfall at the catchment areas of Siruvani dam, they said.