Dust storms and lightning kill at least 96 people in northern India

India" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="126860" data-entity-type="event">Dust storms and lightning kill at least 96 people in northern India 1 of 5 | Relatives mourn beside the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) CORRECTION: Corrected to that Yadav died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed, not his own house’s. 2 of 5 | Relatives cry after seeing the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after a wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) 3 of 5 | Relatives place the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain, into an ambulance at a mortuary in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) CORRECTION: Corrected to that Yadav died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed, not his own house’s. 4 of 5 | A Home Guard member ties a rope to a fallen tree to set up a temporary shelter following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) 5 of 5 | Shweta Yadav, 16, who was injured while trying to save her brother Summit Yadav, 24, after a wall of their neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain, is consoled by a relative in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) 1 of 5 Relatives mourn beside the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) CORRECTION: Corrected to that Yadav died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed, not his own house’s. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 2 of 5 Relatives cry after seeing the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after a wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 3 of 5 Relatives place the body of Summit Yadav, 24, who died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain, into an ambulance at a mortuary in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) CORRECTION: Corrected to that Yadav died after the wall of his neighbor’s house collapsed, not his own house’s. Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 4 of 5 A Home Guard member ties a rope to a fallen tree to set up a temporary shelter following dust storms and heavy rain in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. 5 of 5 Shweta Yadav, 16, who was injured while trying to save her brother Summit Yadav, 24, after a wall of their neighbor’s house collapsed following dust storms and heavy rain, is consoled by a relative in Prayagraj, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Dust storms, heavy rain, and lightning damaged homes and other structures and killed at least 96 people in northern India, officials said Thursday. The storms also injured more than 50 people as they swept across several districts late Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Police and disaster response teams used chainsaws and cranes to clear fallen trees from roads and railway tracks in several districts.Storms are common in northern India during the hot season from March to June, before the annual monsoon rains arrive.Narendra N. Srivastava, an administrative official, said emergency teams were deployed across the affected areas and that homes, crops and power infrastructure were widely damaged, particularly in rural districts. In Prayagraj district, residents described panic as strong winds tore through neighborhoods.“The storm came suddenly and the sky turned completely dark within minutes,” Ram Kishore said. “Tin roofs were flying and people ran indoors. We could hear trees falling throughout the evening.” In neighboring Bhadohi district, Savitri Devi said her family narrowly escaped after strong winds damaged their mud house.“We rushed outside when the walls started shaking because of the wind. Our roof collapsed moments later. We spent the night at a relative’s house,” she said.Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered officials to complete relief operations within 24 hours and directed authorities to provide compensation and emergency aid to affected families.