At least 56 people died while 46 others were injured across Uttar Pradesh during a spell of torrential rains that lasted over 40 hours on September 25 and 26. The incessant rainfall left behind a trail of destruction as over 1,000 houses were destroyed while 107 animals died.
According to a report by The Times of India, damage to the crops happened on a large scale and is still being assessed. As per a situation report by UP Relief Commissioner Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod's office, the highest fatalities, 7, were recorded in Sitapur, followed by Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich and Balrampur, which recorded five deaths each.
Four people died in each of the districts of Ayodhya and Gorakhpur.
Meanwhile, the highest number of injuries at 7 were recorded in Hardoi. It was followed by Mainpuri and Barabanki with five wounded each. Barabanki, neighbouring capital Lucknow, recorded four injuries while Sitapur and Lakhimpur registered four injured each.
The highest number of animal fatalities of 28 was registered in Hardoi, followed by Sitapur (16), Kannauj (14), Bahraich (7), Kanpur Dehat (7) and Unnao (6).
Hardoi also accounted for 272 damaged houses, the highest among 1,021 total cases. Sitapur recorded 108 animal deaths. Substantial damage to residential structures was also reported in Chandauli, Auraiya, Gonda, Hamirpur, Shahjahanpur and Bahraich.
During the 48-hour period, the state received an average of 66.5 mm rainfall, 775 per cent higher than the normal 7.6 mm rainfall.
65 out of a total of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh recorded 'large excess' rainfall, with the highest deviation at 7,385 per cent above normal in Farukkhabad, followed by Kannauj (5,664%), Shahjahanpur (4,408%), Hamirpur (4,240%) and Mahoba (4,100%), the UP Relief Commission report.
Speaking about one of the scariest rain spells in decades, Yashod said, "Assessment of crop losses was still underway as district administrations continued rescue, relief and damage assessment operations in the affected areas."