33 killed in two days due to lightning strikes in Bihar, dozens injured

Bihar government announced compensation of ₹40 lakhs to the families of those killed by lightning.

Lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India this week killed at least 33 people and injured dozens, officials said Friday.

At least 243 died by lightning in 2024 and 275 in 2023, according to the Bihar government. (Representational)

The deaths in Bihar occurred during fierce storms between Wednesday and Thursday, a state disaster management department statement said, with the victims mostly farmers and labourers working in the open.

More heavy rain and lightning are forecast for parts of the state.

Bihar state's disaster management minister, Vijay Kumar Mandal, told AFP that officials in vulnerable districts had been directed to "create awareness to take precautionary steps following an alert on lightning".

The state government announced compensation of ₹40 lakhs ($4,600) to the families of those killed by lightning.

At least 243 died by lightning in 2024 and 275 the year before, according to the state government.

India's eastern region, including Bihar, is prone to annual floods that kill dozens and displace hundreds of thousands of people during peak monsoon season.