India: Dust storm in Uttar Pradesh kills 16

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI, INDIA

At least 16 people have been killed and more than a dozen injured from a strong dust storm in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said Saturday.

A few north Indian states Friday evening saw a severe dust storm, with many places reporting loss of human life.

“We have reports of 16 people dead due to the storm which started on Friday evening. The casualties are from various districts of the state. The Moradabad district reported the highest number of deaths -- seven.” T.P. Gupta, an official at the State’s Relief Commissioner Office in Lucknow, told Anadolu Agency.

He said at least 12 people were also injured in the storm.

Local media reported that most of the deaths in the state were due to houses collapsing and trees falling.

Mahesh Palawat, the head of private weather agency Skymet, told Anadolu News agency that the intensity of Friday’s dust storm was "severe" in some places. “In most places, there is no prediction of any similar dust storm in the days ahead,” he said.