26 people, including children, killed as rains pound UP

At least 26 people, including children, were killed and scores others injured as heavy rains lashed large parts of Uttar Pradesh causing widespread damage of properties and crops.

According to the reports hundreds of houses collapsed in different parts of the state, which has been witnessing heavy rains since Wednesday night.

Reports said that five people were killed in Prayagraj division in incidents of house collapse. Three persons, including a woman, were killed in Amethi district in a similar incident on Thursday.

Reports of deaths had also been received from Raebareli, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Varanasi, and Mahoba districts, sources here said on Friday.

The rains, that started on Wednesday night, were continuing, the officials said. The schools up to 12th standard had been closed in the state capital and many other districts following predictions of more rains in the next 48-hours.

Met officials said that the state capital of Lucknow recorded 53 mm rains on Thursday. They warned that heavy rains would continue to pound the state in the next two days.

Heavy rains have disrupted normal lives besides affecting rail and air traffic. Many long distance trains were reported to be running several hours behind schedule. Flight operations were also adversely affected at Lucknow Airport.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced financial assistance to the next of the kin of the people killed in incidents of house collapse and lightning.

Official sources said that relief and rescue operations had been launched in the rain-affected areas.