At least 147 residents of the north Indian state Bihar have been killed by lightning strikes for the past 10 days.
Local officials warned residents or more extreme weather conditions in the coming days. The phenomenon, according to experts, is driven by climate change.
About 215 people, mostly farmers, rural laborers, and cattle graziers, have now died from the lightning strikes in the area since late March.
“I was informed by weather experts, scientists, and officials that rising temperatures due to climate change is the main cause behind the increasing lightning strikes,” Disaster Management Ministry Lashmeshwar Rai was quoted as saying by Gulf Today.
On Saturday, 25 residents have died due to the lightning strikes.
Agrometeorologist Abdus Sattar said in an AFP report that the lightning and thunder were caused by large-scale instability in the atmosphere, fuelled by temperature rises and excessive moisture.
In Uttar Pradesh, a neighboring community has over recorded more than 200 deaths due to lightning since April this year.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, more than 2,300 people were killed by lightning in India in 2018 alone.
Photo by SciTechDaily
