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A severe storm accompanied by heavy rainfall and lightning strikes swept across Bihar on Thursday, causing widespread damage and claiming 58 lives, with Nalanda district suffering the highest number of casualties.
According to officials, 35 people died due to falling trees or collapsing walls, while 23 others were killed by lightning across various districts. Nalanda alone reported 23 deaths, including 22 from physical structures collapsing and one due to lightning.
Nalanda District Magistrate Shashank Shubhankar confirmed the grim toll, saying, “Most of the families have already received the Rs 4 lakh compensation, and the remaining will get it by Friday afternoon, as per Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s directions.”
The DM further stated that three to four injured individuals are being treated at Sadar Hospital, and major destruction was observed in homes, crops, and public infrastructure. “We’ve recorded five livestock deaths, and our teams are still reviewing damage to smaller animals,” he added.
The storm badly affected infrastructure, especially in Nalanda. Over 18 km of power lines were damaged, 300+ electric poles uprooted, and multiple transformers destroyed. The electricity department has deployed 42 teams for restoration, and tree removal from blocked roads is underway.
To maintain water supply, ten generators were brought in overnight, with more expected. The DM emphasized that commercial property damage is not covered under compensation — only residential and personal losses qualify.
“The administration is working on a war footing to make sure no one is left behind,” Shubhankar said.
Beyond Nalanda, the storm caused deaths in multiple districts:
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Bhojpur: 5 deaths
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Gaya: 3 deaths
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Gopalganj, Arwal, Jehanabad, Patna, Muzaffarpur: 1 death each
The 23 lightning-related deaths were spread across:
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Siwan (4), Jamui (3), Saharsa (2), Araria (2), Saran (2)
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Patna, Jehanabad, Bhojpur, Darbhanga, Arwal, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Munger, Katihar, Bhagalpur (1 each)
The state government has promised further assessment and aid as required.
