Bihar flood toll rises to 168, lightning strike kills 2 in UP

New Delhi: Three people perished in flood-ravaged Bihar on Wednesday taking the death toll in the state to 168 while two women were killed in a lightning strike in Uttar Pradesh even as the national capital received the season's heaviest rainfall.

Water receded at seven points in the swollen Ganga in Bihar even as two fresh deaths were reported in Lakhisarai while one person died in Samastipur, a statement from state disaster management department said here.

The overall death toll in floods this monsoon in Bihar rose to 168, the statement said.

Meanwhile, swirling waters inundated 12 districts including Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Vaishali, Saran, Begusarai, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Munger, Bhagalpur and Katihar in the state.

A total of 37.53 lakh people and 3.70 lakh animals have been affected by floods in different parts of the state.

Heavy rains lashed the national capital with the continuous downpour leading to water-logging on major roads severely affecting traffic movement across the city.

The city received 63.1 mm rainfall as per the reading of the Safdarjung observatory while the Palam observatory recorded 55.6 mm rainfall.

Two women died after being hit by lightning in different parts of Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district.

Various places received light to moderate rain or thundershowers as southwest monsoons remained active over eastern Uttar Pradesh since yesterday, said MeT officials.

In Rajasthan, heavy rains lashed parts of the state with Bhinmal in Jalore recording the highest rainfall of 16 cms followed by 8 cms in Sheoganj area of Sirohi district.

Isolated places in Bharatpur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaipur divisions received heavy rainfall while other areas barring Bikaner divisions recorded light to moderate rain since yesterday, the MeT department said.

The department has predicted heavy rainfall at few places in the state tomorrow.