32 dead as lightning hits Bihar hard

Patna: Thirty-two people have died as lightning struck in different parts of Bihar since Sunday with the maximum casualty reported from Rohtas and Vaishali districts, officials said on Monday.

The state has been receiving intermittent rain over the past few days.

Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit said the 32 deaths include four in the state capital of Patna. The hardest-hit districts of Rohtas and Vaishali have reported five deaths each, he said.

Four people have died in Bhojpur and Saran districts each while Buxar reported three and Nalanda 2 deaths, he said.

Aurangabad, Siwan, Araria, Gopalganj and Samastipur reported one death each, he said. The victims' families have been provided with ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each and money has reached them, the officer added.

Amrit said the state government would soon launch a lightning-tracker app that would alert people about thunder and lightning. Such an app is at present functional in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

The app has been developed by experts from the India Meteorological Department and Indian Space Research Organisation among others, he added. "A team is expected to visit us on Tuesday and we hope to make this app available this season itself," he said.