Lightning Strike Kills a Group of 11 Selfie-Takers

Lightning strikes killed at least 68 people in several northern Indian states on Sunday, including 11 people who were reportedly taking selfies at a 12th century palace tourist attraction at the time.

According to police, this weekend dozens of tourists at the Amber Fort in Rajasthan state were taking selfies in the fort’s watchtower when, all of a sudden, 11 were struck by lightning and instantly killed. Eight others were found injured, many of whom panicked and jumped from the watchtower after seeing lightning. The police are looking for other survivors. 

In another incident in the same state, a group of five, which included four teenagers and a 40-year-old woman, were taking shelter under a tree with their cattle when they were also struck and killed by lightning. 

Most lightning victims were young adults or teenagers, police officials said. 

Deaths from lightning strikes were recorded across the northern Indian states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh as the region experienced heavy rainfall throughout Sunday. There were 20 such deaths in Rajasthan alone.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,682) for the families of those killed by the lightning and 50,000 Indian rupees ($670) for those who sustained injuries. 

Last year, 147 people were killed in a span of 10 days in the north Indian state of Bihar due to lightning strikes. Authorities said that climate change was responsible for the unprecedented surge in lightning deaths in India. 

According to data by the Indian Meteorological Department, a government agency responsible for weather forecasting and meteorological observations, lightning strikes have killed at least 2,000 people annually since 2004. This is nearly double the number of deaths recorded since the late 1960s.

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