Lightning, hail kill 61 in Bihar; CM Nitish Kumar announces ₹4 Lakh compensation

PATNA: In the last 48 hours, at least 61 people have lost their lives due to lightning strikes and hailstorms across several districts in Bihar. Nalanda district recorded the highest number of casualties, with 22 deaths reported on Thursday alone.

Other districts also reported fatalities: Patna, Bhojpur, Siwan, and Gaya each recorded four deaths; Gopalganj and Jamui reported three each; Muzaffarpur, Jehanabad, Saran, and Arwal each saw two deaths; and Begusarai, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Katihar, Munger, Madhepura, Araria, and Bhagalpur each reported one death.

Nalanda District Magistrate Shashank Bhubhankar confirmed that 21 people died due to thunderstorms, and one due to lightning. He added that rescue and relief operations are ongoing in the affected areas. Instructions have been given to hand over the bodies to the families after postmortem procedures.

Efforts are also being made to restore traffic that was disrupted due to fallen trees. Police personnel have been deployed to remove logs and branches from the roads.

In Nagma village, under the Manpur police station limits, six people died on Thursday when a tree fell on a temple. The victims had taken shelter there during the hailstorm, and the collapse of a wall led to their deaths.

Additional fatalities in Nalanda district were reported from Jaitipur in Islampur block, Dekpura in Rahui block, and from Silao and Giriyak blocks. The district administration has issued emergency contact numbers for the public.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased. In a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, people were advised to stay indoors and go out only when necessary.

On Wednesday, 13 more deaths due to lightning were reported from four districts. Heavy rains and hailstorms have affected at least 25 of Bihar’s 38 districts in the past two days.

Apart from the human toll, the storms have also caused significant damage to houses, livestock, and crops. A senior official from the State Disaster Management Department said district officials have been instructed to assess the damage and provide compensation based on their reports.