Motihari/Bettiah (Bihar): At least 23 people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike and wall collapse triggered by squall in Bihar on Sunday.
18 persons were killed after lightning struck them across eight districts in the state.
In West Champaran district, five persons were killed in separate incidents of wall collapse during a storm that blew at a speed of 50-70 km per hour in different panchayat areas, Disaster Management Department's Additional Secretary Anirudh Kumar told PTI.
Out of the 18 persons killed in incidents of lightning strike in eight districts, five persons were killed in East Champaran, four in Jamui, one in West Champaran, two each in Munger, Bhagalpur and Madhepura and one each in Vaishali and Samastipur districts, Kumar said.
Some of the deceased identified till last reports came in were Kanth Lal Rai (70), Mina Devi (40), Sunita Devi (32), Veena Kumari (19), Sushila Devi (40), Manager Choudhary (45), Chandrawati Devi (55), Shambha Devi (40), Rima Kumari (14), Paramshila Kumari (16) and Mukesh Kumar.
Anirudh Kumar also said that Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia will be given to each of the next to the kin of those killed in Sunday's incidents.
