At least 23 people were killed in lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India, officials said Saturday (3).
The deaths in Bihar state occurred during fierce weather between Wednesday and Friday, with the victims largely being farmers and labourers.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed his condolences over the deaths and pledged compensation for the families of victims.
Eleven people were killed across several parts of the state on Friday (2) in addition to the 13 who died over the preceding two days, according to a toll published by Bihar's disaster management authority.
More heavy rains and lightning are forecast for parts of the state on Monday (5).
Lightning strikes are common in India during the June-September monsoon, which is crucial to replenishing regional water supplies but also responsible for widespread deaths and destruction each year.
Nearly 2,900 people were killed by lightning in India in 2019, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images