At least 14 people were killed in lightning strikes in India's eastern state of Bihar during heavy monsoon rains, a news report said Thursday. The deaths took place in villages across six districts since Wednesday, the IANS news agency reported, citing officials.
Five more villagers who were injured were hospitalised. Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds uprooted trees, damaged houses and toppled power cables across the state Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Lightning strikes during the June-September monsoon season are common across India, with villagers living in thatched huts most at risk.
More than 260 people have died during the current monsoon season across India, according to the federal Home Ministry.