New Delhi: After the duststorm hit the national capital and surrounding areas early Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for next 72 hours, anticipating similar weather conditions across large parts of north India, including Delhi.
An 18-year-old man was killed and 13 others injured in the duststorm. The deceased, identified as Sohail, is a resident of northeast Delhi’s Gokalpuri area and got injured after a wall collapsed on him while he was sleeping in his house. Four members of his family have also sustained minor injuries, the police said.
One person was injured in Dwarka while two persons sustained minor injuries in west Delhi during the storm.
The police control room (PCR) received 78 calls during the storm. Four persons were injured in east Delhi while two persons sustained minor injuries in south Delhi, they added.
According to forecast, there will be rain or thundershowers with gusty winds on Thursday.
As many as 59 calls about fallen trees, five calls about fallen electricity poles and 11 calls about hoardings/wall collapse were received by the PCR, police said.
Also, four calls received were about damages to cars in the dust storm. Fourteen vehicles — 13 cars and a motorcycle — were damaged in it, the police said.
As per the traffic control room, as many 53 calls related to falling of trees and six calls about fallen poles were received during dust storm the previous night. Thirty-seven fallen trees have been removed and remaining are being removed, officials said.
According to the IMD warning bulletin issued in the morning, “Thunders-torm accompanied with gusty winds (with speed 50-70 km) very likely at isolated places over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.”
The same predictions have been made for Thursday at isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
As many as 80 people were killed in five states due to thunderstorms and lightning strikes since May 13, with the northern state of Uttar Pradesh alone recording 51 deaths.
Meanwhile, temperature in the morning was recorded at 25 degrees Celsius and generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle is expected, a Met official said.
