The information was confirmed by local authorities on July 18.
According to the Department of Natural Disaster Management of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, thunderstorms occurred fiercely on July 16 and 17, mainly in rural areas, where many farmers and freelance workers still worked outdoors despite dangerous weather conditions.
"Most of the victims were people making a living in the fields and could not find shelter when thunderstorms hit," a state official said.
Secretary of State Disaster Management of Bihar - Mr. Vijay Kumar Mandal - said that local authorities have been directed to increase propaganda and warn people to proactively avoid lightning when there are bad weather forecasts. However, reality shows that many people are still subjective or do not have the conditions to access safe shelters.
Heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected in many places in the state of Bihar in the coming days.
The Bihar government has announced that it will pay 4 million rubles (about $4,600) in support to each family with a person killed by lightning. This is a support policy according to regulations for natural disaster situations in this state.
Fatal Set is not uncommon in India, especially during the rainy season from June to September. In 2024 alone, at least 243 people were killed by lightning in the state of Bihar - one of the highest in the country. In 2023, this number will even increase to 275 people.
eastern India, including Bihar, is a region that is prone to flooding and thunderstorms during the rainy season. Every year, tens of thousands of people die and hundreds of thousands of people have to evacuate due to natural disasters.
According to meteorologists, climate change is causing extreme weather phenomena, including lightning and heavy rain, to occur with stronger intensity and more frequency than before.
