A devastating storm characterized by heavy rain, blinding dust, and ferocious winds tore through India’s Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday evening, leaving at least 89 people dead and 53 others injured.

The death toll saw a sharp overnight spike from an initial report of 27 as rescue teams reached remote areas on Thursday.

The storm caused widespread destruction, uprooting massive trees, leveling houses, and severing electricity, communication, and transport networks across numerous districts.

The sudden weather shift occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday, bringing dark clouds that turned daytime into near-total darkness and catching many residents off guard.

Prayagraj emerged as the hardest-hit district with 21 fatalities, including seven deaths in Handia, four in Phulpur, three in Soraon, and two in Meja.

In the Triveni Sangam area, pilgrimage priests saw their huts blown away, while tin sheds and solar panels were torn off buildings across the district. Other significant death tolls were recorded in Sant Ravidas Nagar with 14 fatalities, Fatehpur with 11 and Mirzapur with 10.

Additional casualties were reported in Unnao, Badaun, Bareilly, Pratapgarh, Sitapur, Hardoi, Kanpur Dehat, Sonbhadra, Sambhal, Basti, Rae Bareli, and Shahjahanpur.

In one of the most tragic incidents, a woman and her three daughters were killed in the village of Khargasenpur in Sant Ravidas Nagar when a tree collapsed onto their home.

In Badaun, five people died in separate incidents, including two girls, aged nine and 10, who were crushed when a mud wall collapsed on them as they sought shelter.

A 40-year-old woman also lost her life when a tree fell on a tubewell room where several people had taken cover.

Other fatalities in the district included a truck driver crushed by a eucalyptus tree and a young man struck while delivering food to his father.

Additional District Magistrate Kunwar Virendra Kumar Maurya noted that "rescue and restoration efforts were hampered by disruptions to mobile phone networks," though he confirmed that district officials and police teams are now "conducting inspections and relief work across affected areas."

Municipal teams remain deployed to clear fallen trees from major roads such as Mahatma Gandhi Marg and Ashok Nagar to restore traffic flow.

Meanwhile, authorities cautioned that the death toll could still rise as damage assessments continue and rescue operations reach the most severely impacted rural pockets.

Collapsing walls have crushed numerous vehicles, and many areas remain without power as crews work to repair downed lines.

Officials emphasized that teams will remain on the ground until the worst-hit districts are stabilized and all casualties are accounted for.

Source: India Today