Lucknow, May 14 (IANS) At least 89 people lost their lives, and 53 others were injured after a powerful thunderstorm, heavy rain, hailstorm and lightning strikes battered several districts of Uttar Pradesh, causing widespread destruction on Wednesday evening, officials said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the widespread damage and directed officials to undertake immediate relief and rescue measures.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and directed officials to immediately visit the affected areas and provide assistance and compensation to victims.

He also instructed District Magistrates and other officials concerned to conduct ground surveys on priority so that compensation for loss of lives, livestock and crop damage can be released in coordination with the departments concerned.

The Chief Minister directed all districts to send situation reports every three hours and asked officials to prioritise rescue and relief operations. He further instructed authorities to share updates regarding compensation distribution and relief work through social media platforms.

According to the Relief Commissioner’s Office, the adverse weather conditions also resulted in the death of 114 livestock and damage to 87 houses across the state.

The Relief Commissioner’s Office said it is continuously monitoring the situation through direct communication with district-level officials, and necessary funds are being released to the districts.

Meanwhile, Prayagraj reported the highest number of fatalities with 21 deaths, followed by Sant Ravidas Nagar with 14 deaths and Fatehpur with 11 deaths. Casualties were also reported from several other districts, including Barabanki, Bahraich, Kanpur Dehat, Basti, Sambhal, Hardoi, and Unnao.

Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Vineeta Singh, told IANS that severe storm and strong winds struck Prayagraj on Wednesday evening, leading to extensive damage and loss of lives.

“Till late at night, 17 deaths had been reported in Prayagraj district. Later during the night, the number rose to 21. Lekhpal officials and the district administration reached the affected spots and carried out the necessary formalities. The relief amount provided by the government will be made available promptly once the required documents are received,” she said.

Fatehpur DM, Nidhi Gupta Vats, said the death toll from the severe storm has risen to 11 with 15 seriously injured, as the administration is on the ground conducting relief and rescue operations.

The powerful storm that swept through the state late on Wednesday evening uprooted trees, damaged houses and triggered incidents of wall collapses in several districts. Multiple lightning strike incidents were also reported from different parts of the state.

–IANS

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