20 killed in lightning strikes in India

At least 20 people have been killed in lightning strikes and crops damaged in several areas after unseasonal rains battered Gujarat on Sunday, officials said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid condolences to the families of the victims and said the local administration was engaged in relief work, reports ndtv.com.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people due to bad weather and lightning in various cities of Gujarat. I express my deepest condolences for the irreparable loss to those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. The local administration is engaged in relief work, praying for the speedy recovery of the injured," Mr Shah wrote in Gujarati on X.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rainfall is expected to subside on Monday, while being concentrated in some parts of south Gujarat and Saurashtra districts.

Data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) reveals that rainfall was recorded in 234 out of Gujarat's 252 talukas on Sunday. Districts like Surat, Surendranagar, Kheda, Tapi, Bharuch, and Amreli witnessed particularly heavy rainfall, with amounts ranging from 50 to 117 mm in a mere 16 hours._Agencies.