81 killed after heavy rain in India

At least 81 people have died due to heavy rain and lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and the weather department has predicted more unseasonal rain for the region. 

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had on April 9 raised a multi-hazard warning for the country, with heatwave conditions in the western parts and thunderstorms in the eastern and central regions.

In the eastern state of Bihar, at least 58 people died in rain-related incidents in last 48 hours, a senior official from the state’s disaster management department said.

Local media reported that more than 22 people have died in India’s most populous state of Uttar Pradesh and one in West Bengal.

The monsoon season usually begins in June in southern India, and summer months in the recent past have been marked by intense heatwaves that have killed several people.