
Bihar: 34 killed, 6 injured in lightning strikes in past 48 hours
The highest number of six fatalities each was reported in Nalanda and Vaishali, followed by Sheikhpura (five), Patna and Aurangabad (three each), Nawada and Banka (two each).
Besides, Bhojpur, Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Gayaji, Samastipur and Jamui districts accounted for six deaths.
Over 90 people were killed in lightning strikes and thunderstorms in different districts of Bihar in April, which also caused massive damage to crops and houses.
According to the latest Bihar Economic Survey tabled in the assembly during the budget session in February, 'The state witnessed 275 lightning/thunderstorm related deaths in 2023. Among the districts, the highest number of deaths due to thunderstorms/lightning were reported from Rohtas (25), Gaya (21), Aurangabad (19), Jamui (17), and Madhepura and Bhagalpur reported 16 each." PTI PKD RBT
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Floods brought boulders. That saved most Chasoti locals
Kishtwar: Search and rescue operation underway at cloudburst-hit Chisoti village, in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI Photo) CHASOTI (KISHTWAR): The stream that villagers once crossed casually on their way to the fields turned into a roaring wall of water on Aug 14. It carried boulders, timber and slush down the slope, smashing into the edge of the hillside settlement. Nine houses and three temples were razed. Then, abruptly, the surge stopped a few metres short of the govt primary school, where 40 children were rehearsing for Independence Day. The school, barely 30 metres from the stream, became the line that separated devastation from survival, as the debris lodged into the earth and shielded 70-odd houses below it. That chance barricade saved most of Chasoti's 400 residents. Of the 68 deaths confirmed so far, only 10 were villagers, with four more still missing -- 90% of those killed or presumed dead were outsiders — pilgrims and visitors who had come for the Machail Mata yatra. Survivors remember the noise before they saw the water. 'It was terrifying. We thought everything would be washed away, but the boulders stopped the flow from reaching most houses,' Mohan Singh, a farmer who lost a cousin, told TOI. The difference between life and death, he said, was measured in the few metres where the flood halted above the schoolyard. For Sewa Ram, 62, and his wife, Panna Devi, 57, the survival of their family was an accident of timing. Their joint household of 10 — two sons, their wives and four grandchildren — had crossed to the other side of the stream that morning. When they returned, their three-storey house was a shell, stripped down to a frame where only the skeleton of a window remained. The only casualty was Khumbu Devi, Sewa's elder sister who had stayed back. 'We escaped because we were away,' Panna said, her grandchildren playing near the ruins. Elsewhere, survival was just as precarious. At least 50 cars were parked near the narrow bridge across the stream when the flood hit. Anil Kumar, 17, and Pankaj Kumar, 16, saw drivers abandon their vehicles and run. 'The sound was like nothing we had heard before,' Pankaj recalled. 'We could not see the water at first, only hear it. Then it was everywhere.' In the days that followed, the village turned foul. Mud caked the lanes, food stores rotted inside kitchens, and the air carried the stench of decay. Rescue teams dug with earthmovers and shovels, pulling out bodies from silt and, at times, body parts from under the rocks. 'Most of the people here had a miraculous escape,' said Pushpa Devi. 'But these images, these scenes give us nightmares. A pall of gloom has descended on the village. ' The damage extended beyond homes. Farming on the terraced slopes was already fragile; now the fields lie buried in sludge, maize stalks snapped mid-growth. More than 30 eateries that fed pilgrims during the yatra were swept away, along with hand mills that families used to grind flour. The pilgrimage, which began on July 25 and was to end on Sept 5, has been suspended. Last year, about 3 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine. With crops and stalls gone, villagers say there is nothing left to live on. 'Most of our people have lost their livelihoods,' said Sakhsi Devi. 'We have nowhere to go. Any fresh floods will leave us devastated.' Demands for relocation have grown louder than calls for relief. 'It is unsafe for us to live here,' said Roshan Lal, 66, who lost a cousin. 'We should be shifted elsewhere.' Govind Rathore added: 'No amount of money can make us feel safe here. We want land in Jammu where we can live without fear.'


News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Hurricane Erin Brings Dangerous Rip Currents To East Coast Beaches, Dozens Rescued N18G
Hundreds of thousands of beachgoing tourists were keeping a watchful eye on massive Hurricane Erin as large waves and rough surf driven by the powerful storm were taking aim at the Atlantic Coast from central Florida to Canada. News18 Mobile App -


News18
9 hours ago
- News18
Generally cloudy sky, light rain likely in Delhi on Wednesday: IMD
Agency: New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) A generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle is likely in the national capital on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The IMD has also predicted rain accompanied with thunderstorms and lightning in parts of Delhi late Tuesday. Some areas in the national capital received rain in the afternoon, with no alert issued for the city, the weather department said. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature settled at 26.7 degrees Celsius, it added. The weather department said the relative humidity hovered around 64 per cent at 5.30 pm. It has predicted a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle on Wednesday with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 34 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 27 degrees Celsius. Delhi's air quality remained in the 'satisfactory" category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 89, the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 4 pm bulletin showed. According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. PTI NSM OZ OZ (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 19, 2025, 20:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...