Freak storm in summer kills 100 in N India

NATURE'S FURY: A duststorm on Tuesday evening claimed almost 100 lives in UP and Delhi.

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Keywords: Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar

New Delhi: Nature is furiously hitting out at the world. After Cyclone Nargis ravaged Myanmar and an earthquake shook China, India too has been hit by freak dust storms. However, Indians were fortunate that the damage was not as intense as it was in the case of Myanmar and China.

The duststorm on Tuesday evening claimed almost 100 lives in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Strong winds at almost 100 kmph lashed across North India and uprooted trees, damaged houses and broke electricity poles — wreaking havoc across Delhi and large parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

And as nature's fury claimed almost 89 lives in parts of UP, fire only perpetuated the havoc. While 80 huts were gutted in Lucknow, in Etawah fire broke out in almost 22 places.

The worst affected areas include Kannauj where 24 people died, Etawah where 10 people died, Kanpur Dehat where nine people were killed and Delhi, where five lives were claimed by the freak weather.

Relief Secretary UP, GK Tandon said, "The information that we have as of now says that 89 people have died because of the storm, including women and children."

In Delhi, five people died when an uprooted tree fell on their shanties. The death toll across North India is closing in on the 100 mark.

The UP government has sanctioned Rs 27 crore as relief.

And the Met Department says that a duststorm at this time of the year is not unusual and is part of pre-monsoon activity.