UP: Lightning strikes kill 12 people

Lucknow: Over a dozen people were killed in lightning strikes in many parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh as more rains are likely in the state on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_1710711” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Over a dozen students were injured in lightning strikes in Nigoha late Friday. The engineering students were hit by lightning in their rented accommodation. Those seriously injured have been identified as Anurag Mishra, 20, Anuj Pandey, 20, and Rahul Tripathi, 21. More rains are likely in the state capital and other parts of eastern UP, weather officials said on Saturday. Heavy rains have been pounding the city and other parts of the state since the last two days. While the sky was overcast early Saturday in Lucknow where polling is under way in Lucknow (East) assembly constituency, some drizzle took place in other places. Met officials said there was 55 mm of rain since Friday in the city, bringing down the mercury by seven notches. The minimum temperature in Lucknow was 21.6 degrees celsius while the maximum temperature hovered around 26 degree celsius. Regional Met director JP Gupta said the rains were taking place due to the active south westerly monsoon. The rains, he added, are likely to continue for the next few days. The rains over the past few days have made up for the scanty monsoon. The rainfall in September this year have been one of the highest recorded in the past few years. IANS