Lightning strikes kill 18 people including 'group of 16 youngsters' taking storm selfies on top of a watchtower at historic fort in Indian city of Jaipur
Lightning strikes killed at least 18 people in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan on Sunday, according to local officials.
Sixteen of those killed were tourists visiting the 12th-century Amer Fort in Jaipur, the state's capital, after lightning struck a watchtower near the site, the BBC reported.
The outlet said some of those killed at the fort were youngsters who had been taking selfies from the tower.
Earlier on Monday, Jairam, a local police officer who identified himself by only one name, told Reuters news agency 11 had been killed at the fort.
'As it started raining visitors took cover at a watchtower near the fort. Lightning struck the watchtower killing 11 people on the spot and injuring others,' Jairam said.
Most of those dead were local tourists, he added.
Police said seventeen more people were injured, three of whom were in a critical condition.
Seven children were killed by lightning strikes in two other incidents in the state on Sunday night, Rajasthan's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Twitter.
There were also reports of casualties from lightning strikes in the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, but the number of those affected varied considerably.
Eleven people were killed and 17 were injured after lightning hit watchtowers at Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Sunday. Pictured: Lightning hits near Amer Fort during the storm
Video footage and pictures showed a bolt of lightning hit the lookout tower near the historic Amer Fort during the thunderstorm
Local media reported that as many as 68 people had been killed across the three states.
Authorities earlier on Monday confirmed that around 63 people had been killed.
Elsewhere on Sunday, lightning strikes killed around 10 people in the desert state of Rajasthan, while at least 42 died in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, according to authorities.
Hundreds of people in India are killed each year in thunderstorms at the start of the monsoon season, which bring respite from the summer heat across the northern Indian plains.
When the lightning struck near Amer Fort, people were said to be taking selfies close to the watchtower, while some jumped to the ground after the strike, according to local media reports.
When the lightning struck near Amer Fort (emergency teams pictured at scene), people were taking selfies close to the tower, while some reportedly jumped to the ground after the strike
There were up to 30 people were on the towers at the time of the lightning strike. Pictured: Members of the State Disaster Response Force examine the site
Senior Jaipur police officer Saurabh Tiwari said: 'It was already raining when the people were there. They huddled in the towers as the rainfall intensified.'
Tiwari added that up to 30 people were on the towers at the time of the lightning strike.
'Some of the injured were left unconscious by the strikes. Others ran out in panic and extreme pain,' Tiwari said.
Emergency teams were on the scene on Monday, checking whether any victims had fallen into a deep moat on one side of the watchtowers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed in a tweet his condolences to the families of the deceased.
Modi on Monday said special payments would be made to the families of people who lost their lives, as he offered condolences.
The office of the Prime Minister tweeted: 'The Prime Minister was briefed about the loss of lives and damages due to lightning in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
'An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.'
There have been warnings of more lightning in the next two days from the India Meteorological Department.
Lightning strikes are common during India's monsoon season, which starts in June and continues until September.
Emergency teams were on the scene on Monday , checking whether any victims had fallen into a deep moat on one side of the watchtowers
Members of State Disaster Response Force conduct a search operation near the watchtowers of the Amer Fort on the outskirts of Jaipur on Monday
There have been warnings of more lightning in the next two days. Pictured: Members of State Disaster Response Force conduct a search operation near the watchtowers on Monday
In March, four gardeners were blasted by lightning and one of them was killed as they huddled under a tree during a storm in Manesar.
The incident was captured on CCTV footage, which showed a bright flash as the bolt struck from the sky and knocked three of the men down instantly.
All four gardeners were hurried to a nearby hospital in Manesar while one of the men died later that same day.
Almost 3,000 people were killed by lightning strikes in 2019, according to recent figures reported by TV channel Al Jazeera.
The year before, the southern state of Andhra Pradesh recorded a staggering 36,749 lightning strikes in just 13 hours, the BBC reported.