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At least 13 individuals died after being hit by lightning in four Bihar districts, an official release on Wednesday quoted by news agency PTI stated. The victims died during volatile weather in some regions of India.

The announcement, made by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), showed that Begusarai had five deaths, Darbhanga had four, Madhubani had three, and Samastipur had one death.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was deeply saddened by the loss of lives and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

As part of the relief response by the government, CM Kumar declared an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh to the next of kin of the victims who lost their lives in the lightning strikes. He also asked the public to follow safety advisories issued by the Disaster Management Department strictly in order to avoid such incidents in the future.

The incident brings to the fore the increasing danger of lightning deaths in Bihar. As per the Bihar Economic Survey 2024 - 25, which was tabled during the state budget session in February, the state witnessed a total of 275 lightning and thunderstorm-related deaths in 2023 alone.

While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms along with lightning and gusty winds in Andhra Pradesh from April 9 to 13. An alert has been issued for North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP), and the Rayalaseema region.

As per an IMD press release, a well-marked low-pressure system is over the west-central and surrounding southwest Bay of Bengal. The system, which is linked to cyclonic circulation up to middle tropospheric levels, will move northwards before recurving in a north - northeast direction and weakening slowly over the central Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours.

Furthermore, the IMD said that maximum temperatures at NCAP, Yanam, and SCAP are also expected to continue being above normal by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during the next three days. The temperature could go up to 3 degrees Celsius during the same period in Rayalaseema.

As more frequent extreme weather occurrences become commonplace, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh are also seriously struggling with making their people safe and ready. The authorities keep track of weather updates and are also advising people to remain vigilant and adhere to all safety precautions.