Lightning toll 57, more showers forecast

Patna: The toll due to lightning in Bihar during the last 24 hours went up to 57 till Wednesday evening. At least 37 others were injured as a strong thunderstorm accompanied the first monsoon showers that lashed the state on Tuesday evening.
"Such tragedies, albeit not on a large scale, are a common phenomenon. But never before during the rains did Bihar witness such a large number of casualties in one night," state IMD director A K Sen said and added there was no tool to predict the intensity of lightning.
"There were definitely a large number of thunder cells but none of them were so intense to hit the ground with such intensity," he said and underlined the need for "a lot of research" on lightning.
The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. In a directive to the DMs of all the 38 districts on Wednesday, chief minister Nitish Kumar ordered the payments "immediately".
State's principal secretary (disaster management) Vyasji said on Wednesday evening the ex gratia was disbursed to most of the victims' family members. According to official sources, six people were killed in Patna district while five deaths each were reported from Bhojpur, Buxar and Rohtas districts. In Nalanda, four people died while Kaimur and Gaya reported three and two deaths respectively. "Almost every district reported lightning deaths," a disaster management official said quoting reports from DMs.
Purnia district on Tuesday recorded the maximum rainfall -- 83.7mm -- while Patna saw 17.2mm, Gaya 32.6mm and Bhagalpur 25.7mm rainfall.
The weatherman on Wednesday forecast incessant rain in south Bihar in the next 24 hours. The Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Saharsa, Madhepura, Siwan, Saran, Gopalganj districts in north Bihar has also been put on alert.