India Rain, Dust Storm Kills at Least 90, Injures 160

By Associated Press

7 hours ago

weather.com

At a Glance

Heavy rain and blowing dust in northern and western India killed at least 90 and injured 160 more overnight Thursday.
Winds as strong as 80 mph destroyed homes, and lightning strikes were also deadly.
Some of the worst damage was reported in the city of Agra, where the famed Taj Mahal is located.

At least 90 people have died and another 160 were injured as heavy rain and a dust storm struck northern and western India overnight, officials said.

Some of the most severe damage was reported in Agra, the northern Indian city that's home to the Taj Mahal. More than 40 people were killed in the city when winds as high as 80 mph collapsed houses and brought down trees, Uttar Pradesh state Relief Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.

The Taj Mahal was not damaged by the storms.

"Satellite imagery shows that a cluster of strong thunderstorms developed in northwest India and swept through northern parts of the country," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "The storms were accompanied by high winds, which not only caused damage but also swept dust into the region."

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At least 64 people died and another 67 were injured in northern Uttar Pradesh state, Kumar said.

In the western state of Rajasthan, the Press Trust of India news agency said that 27 others died and another 100 were injured. Most deaths were caused by house collapses and lightning.

The rainstorm caught people by surprise as the monsoon season is still more than six weeks away.

Uprooted trees flattened mud huts of the poor, Kumar said. Electricity supply and telephone lines were snapped in parts of Uttar Pradesh state, Kumar said.

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Indian residents look at a wall damaged by high winds during a major dust storm in Agra district in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state on May 3, 2018. Dust storms tore across northern India killing at least 90 people and injuring 160 as trees and walls were flattened by powerful winds, officials said May 3. (AFP/Getty Images)

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