16 dead in UP thunderstorm

Sixteen people were killed and many others injured, when large parts of Uttar Pradesh were hit by a thunderstorm late on Wednesday night.

Official sources said on Thursday that nine districts, mainly in the western region of the state, were affected by the storm that also flattened many houses and left a trail of destruction.

Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said that four people were killed in Etawah district, three deaths each were reported from Mathura and Aligarh districts, two each in Firozabad and Agra and one death each in Hathras and Kanpur Dehat.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the officials to launch the relief and rescue operations on a war footing and provide proper assistance to the affected people.

The state Met office has predicted more thunderstorms in the days to come.

Seventy people had been killed when the state was hit by a massive thunderstorm a few days back.