In a tragic turn of events, Bihar witnessed ten deaths due to lightning strikes within the last 24 hours. The Chief Minister’s Office confirmed the fatalities on Sunday (July 7), detailing the death count from various districts: Nalanda (2), Vaishali (1), Bhagalpur (1), Saharsa (1), Rohtas (1), Saran (1), Jamui (1), Bhojpur (1), and Gopalganj (1).
In response, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar swiftly announced Rs 4 lakh in financial assistance to the families of each deceased and urged the public to exercise caution during adverse weather conditions. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Kumar expressed his condolences: “Sadly, 2 persons died in Nalanda, 1 in Vaishali, 1 in Bhagalpur, 1 in Saharsa, 1 in Rohtas, 1 in Saran, 1 in Jamui, 1 in Bhojpur, and 1 in Gopalganj due to lightning. Deep condolences to the bereaved families. Rs 4 lakh each will be given as ex-gratia to the families
of the deceased. People are forced to be fully cautious during bad weather. Follow the suggestions issued from time to time by the Disaster Management Department. Stay indoors during bad weather, and stay safe.”
Bihar is also grappling with the aftermath of heavy rainfall, causing significant rises in the water levels of various rivers across the state. Incessant rains in certain districts and rainfall in Nepal’s catchment areas have led to rivers breaching danger levels at multiple locations.
Major rivers like Kosi, Bagmati, Gandak, Kamla, and Adahrwa have seen rising water levels. The Kosi River has surpassed the danger mark at Supaul and nearby areas such as Basantpur, with similar warnings issued for Khagaria and Beldaur regions. The Kamla River has reached warning levels in Madhubani, Jainagar, and Jhanjharpur, while the Parman River in Araria district crossed the danger threshold on Friday.
