NEW DELHI, April 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 65 people were killed and many others injured in rain-related incidents across several Indian states, officials said Thursday.
The deaths were reported in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra and Manipur.
According to state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR), 25 deaths occurred in the Rajasthan, 22 in Madhya Pradesh, 10 in Gujarat and three in Maharashtra due to rains.
India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said two deaths were reported in Bihar.
On Monday, three deaths were reported in Manipur due to the rains, local media reported.
According to officials, the unseasonal rains accompanied by winds, thunderstorms and lightning damaged crops, houses and uprooted trees.
"Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph) and lightning at isolated places very likely over Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, WestBengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala," a statement quoting Meteorological department issued by NDMA.
The NDMA officials urge people to avoid taking shelter under trees during lightning.
