A severe dust storm and lightning in various parts of Uttar Pradesh claimed at least 26 lives and left 57 people injured as houses and walls collapsed and trees were uprooted, prompting authorities to launch large-scale relief operations on Friday.
Mainpuri district bore the worst brunt of the vagaries ofnature late on Thursday night as six people died there in separate cases ofwall collapse and lightning, the state relief commissioner said.
Forty-one people were injured in the district and uprootedtrees blocked vehicular movement on the state highways, leading to massive jamsfor a considerable amount of time.
Police said most of the injuries occurred when peoplesleeping inside their mud houses were caught unawares by the thunderstorm,which was accompanied by rain, leading to wall collapse.
People were also injured when signboards and hoardings gotsnapped at several places, and fell on them, the police said.
Thirty-one cattle died and 16 houses were also damaged inthe incidents, officials said.Massive power cuts were reported from variousparts of the state, including Lucknow, as electricity lines got snapped in thegale.