At least 13 people were killed after lightning struck in Bihar’s four districts- Begusarai, Darbhanga, Madhubani and Samastipur, according to the statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO).
The CMO’s statement detailed that Begusarai recorded five fatalities, Darbhanga had four deaths, Madhubani reported three casualties, and Samastipur registered one death.
A severe storm, rain, and hailstorm on Wednesday morning caused significant destruction in different parts of Madhubani, Begusarai and Darbhanga districts in north Bihar.
In Madhubani district’s Piprauliya village, under Araria Sangram police jurisdiction, Durga Devi (45), wife of Raman Kumar Mahto, lost her life to a lightning strike whilst covering firewood. Station House Officer (SHO) Balwant Kumar confirmed the body’s transfer for post-mortem.
At Begusarai’s Bhagatpur in Balia police jurisdiction, Viral Paswan (60) died and his wife, Jitni Devi, suffered burns whilst collecting wheat straw 200 metres from their residence.
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister, shared his condolences and declared compensation of Rs 4 lakh for each victim’s family members.
The CM urged state residents to adhere to the guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department.
The Bihar Economic Survey (2024-25) report, presented during the assembly’s budget session in February this year, documented 275 deaths caused by lightning or thunderstorms in 2023.
