Ten people died and 17 others suffered injuries in rain-related incidents across Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. The state recorded 19 times its normal rainfall in just 24 hours, triggering widespread destruction. Heavy thunderstorms and gale-force winds uprooted trees and collapsed mud-walled structures, leaving 117 houses damaged in total.
The deadliest incident occurred in Gorakhpur district, where four people were killed and 14 injured by falling trees. In Gajarhiya Tola, Lakshmipur II village, an old sal tree crushed a hut at 4 pm, killing Subhash (55), Gyanmati Devi (45) and 13-year-old Kishan Prajapati. Two others, Rammilan and Sirjavati, sustained serious injuries and were rescued by locals before police arrived. Separately, a mahua tree struck Bhim Kumar Vishwakarma near Siyar Mod, killing him instantly.
In Lakhimpur Kheri, Amethi, and Barabanki, five more people died when mud walls gave way under the weight of the rain. In Lucknow, a family of three was injured when the wall of their mud house collapsed in Chaina village. Additional District Magistrate Devendra Singh reported that 20 kutcha houses were damaged in Kannauj, though no deaths were recorded there. The total casualty count reflects a grim reality of infrastructure vulnerability in the state's rural belts.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) identified a depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh moving toward southeast Uttar Pradesh as the primary driver. At 5.30 am on Saturday, this system was centered 230 km south of Prayagraj. It was expected to weaken into a low-pressure area by evening, but not before delivering extremely heavy rainfall to the central Terai region. Farrukhabad received 200 times its normal rainfall, while Kanpur Nagar recorded 160 times, highlighting the unprecedented intensity of the weather event.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district magistrates to remain vigilant and visit vulnerable locations. Schools have been ordered to stay closed in districts under red alert, including Azamgarh, Ballia, and Gorakhpur. Relief and rescue agencies are on standby. The IMD warns that flash flood risks will persist in central and Terai Uttar Pradesh for the next 24 hours, with waterlogging already disrupting traffic in Ayodhya and Lucknow.