Dust storm kills three in Uttar Pradesh, India

A massive dust storm hit many parts of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, on March 30, 2018, killing three people.

The storm disrupted traffic and caused power outages in many locations and uprooted multiple trees, an official said. One person was killed after a wooden shaft collapsed on him in Gonda while two laborers died in Azamgarh when the roof of an under-construction building fell on them.

There are reports of crop and property damage were in Lucknow, Sitapur, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur, Ambedkarnagar, Balrampur, Lakhimpur, Barabanki, and Hardoi.

The official chopper of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was also caught in the dust storm, leading to an emergency landing in Amethi. He was on the way back from Azamgarh where he had gone for some public engagements, an official said.

The Met office said that there had been a steady rise in recent days leading to developing a high-pressure formation, which led to the dust storm. Though clouds hovered over many areas including the state capital, there were no rains.

Feature image: Alan Stark / Flickr