Thunderstorm claims 13 lives; damages parts of Taj Mahal

Agra: Parts of the iconic Taj Mahal were damaged due to thunderstorm on Friday night in Uttar Pradesh's Agra district.

The marble railing of the main mausoleum and red sandstone railings suffered damage due to thunderstorm, officials said on Saturday.

ASI Superintending Archaeologist Basant Kumar Swarnkar said some trees on the premises were uprooted and one door was damaged. The false ceiling in the mausoleum was also uprooted.

Besides, a tree fell in Mehtab Bagh and Mariam's Maqbara, officials said. Thirteen persons have lost their lives in the thunderstorm and lightning that struck several parts of central Uttar Pradesh on Saturday night. Eight deaths were reported from Unnao and five from Kannauj districts.

Large damage to property has also been reported from various districts. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief at the loss of life and has announced a compensation of Rs four lakh each for the kin of the deceased and proper treatment for the injured persons.

Unnao Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Rakesh Singh said, "As many as eight people died in rain and thunderstorm in the district.

A 14-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man died when they were struck by lightning in Japsara village. A 70-year-old woman also sustained serious injuries due to lightning and was rushed to Sumerpur primary health centre, where doctors declared her dead."