At least 40 people have been killed after powerful wind and rain storms swept across northern India.
Winds reached almost 70mph on Sunday, blowing down trees and electricity lines and demolishing homes, meteorological officials said.
Most of the deaths occurred when winds and falling trees caused buildings to collapse, leaving people buried in the wreckage.
In the town of Bareilly, the minaret of a mosque fell on a group of people taking shelter in the courtyard, killing five of them. Three more were injured in the incident.
Saddened by the loss of lives due to storms in some parts of the country. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. Asked officials to provide all possible assistance to those affected.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2018
Trains and commuter rail lines were paused and dozens of flights were diverted from New Delhi’s international airport as the storm blew into the city, turning the sky brown with dust and sand.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh state say 38 people were killed there. Government spokesman Avnish Awasthi said 50 people had been injured when uprooted trees fell on houses, with 38 of those people admitted to hospitals. At least two more people were killed in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet that he was “saddened by the loss of lives due to storms in some parts of the country”.
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