At least 18 people were reportedly killed in lightning strikes across western India’s Gujarat state during unseasonably intense storms on Sunday.
According to AFP, Gujarat state authorities disclosed this in a statement late Sunday.
It was said that such big rainstorms are not expected in Gujarat during winter months, and fierce downpours caught many off guard.
While flash floods and lightning kill dozens of people in India each year, scientists warn that rising global temperatures are unleashing a cascade of extreme weather events.
It was learnt that no fewer than 20 people were killed during the heavy rains, with at least 18 of them due to lightning.
At least 40 animals were also killed.
Home minister Amit Shah said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths, in a post on social media platform X.
