13 killed as fresh thunderstorms lash India

NEW DELHI: At least 13 people were killed Wednesday as thunderstorms battered northern and eastern India, officials said, a week after a deadly dust storm ravaged large swathes of the country.

Nine people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh after a storm and high winds struck parts of the state late Wednesday, disaster management authorities said.

Most of the deaths were caused by falling walls or trees in Etawah and Mathura districts, an official at the authority told AFP.

A teenager was hit by a lightning bolt in Hathras and another was crushed under a tree in neighbouring Agra district.

"Four to five people were injured in freak accidents caused by winds that was followed by rain or hail at several places," the official said.

Agra -- home to Taj Mahal -- was the worst affected in the deadly dust storm that left nearly 150 people dead across six Indian states in early May.

Emergency officials said four people were killed by lightning and thunderstorms in northeastern Assam state on Wednesday.