Lightning strikes killed at least 20 people in one of India’s poorest states within 24 hours.
Nitesh Kumar, the prime minister of Bihar, pleaded with residents to follow the advice of the region’s disaster management authority and stay indoors during bad weather.
The latest fatalities mean the state has recorded 181 lightning deaths this year alone, according to The Times of India.
Although a global phenomenon, India has a particularly high rate of lightning-related deaths, with hundreds of deaths per year during monsoon rains.
The fact that so many people work outdoors, tending crops and livestock in open fields, compared to other countries, is thought to make them more vulnerable because they are so exposed to the elements.
Mr Kumar announced that the families of each of the deceased would be entitled to compensation of £4,154.
According to an annual report by the Lightning Resilient India Campaign, about 1,697 people died from lightning strikes in India in 2020/21.
Although a slight decrease from 1,771 deaths in the previous fiscal year, lightning was still the leading cause of fatalities caused by natural events, the Independent reports.
A study by the non-profit Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council shows that India recorded more than 18 million lightning strikes between April 2020 and March last year.
That represented an increase of 34% compared to the previous 12 months.
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