E-Paper
Patiala storm: Four of migrant family among 7 killed
Wall of adjoining house fell on their shanty after thunderstorm and high-velocity winds lash Rajpura town
Seven people, including four members of a migrant family from Uttar Pradesh, were killed at Rajpura and Sanaur towns in Patiala district following a thunderstorm accompanied by high velocity winds on Thursday night.
The wall of the shanty of the migrant labourers collapsed in Rajpura, killing the four members of the family on the spot. The dead were identified as Girish, Ramshiri, Madhu and Radhika. They worked as labourers in the Rajpura grain market and belonged to Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
Also read: Heavy rain wreaks havoc in Himachal, lightning kills 300 sheep in Kangra
“They had taken this place on rent. During the storm, the wall gave way, killing all four on the spot,” said Vijay Kumar, a relative of the victims.
Police said that the four had made shanties on a piece of land rented by a commission agent. A wall of an adjoining house collapsed, and they died when the debris fell on them.
Two motorcycle-borne men died in Rajpura when a tree fell on them. The tree was uprooted by the high-velocity wind.
In another incident, a labourer died in the Sanaur area of Patiala.
The thunderstorm caused damage to property with nearly two dozen factories and residences reporting storm-related damage.
The power department is working overtime to repair all broken lines and poles to restore electricity at the earliest.
