Lightning strike in Jaipur kills eleven while taking selfies
A lightning strike took the lives of 11 people and injured many more in Jaipur, Northern India, on Sunday.
The victims were taking selfies on top of a watchtower in the popular 12 Century Amer Fort.
27 people were initially on the tower when the lightning struck, with some jumping to the ground as a result of the blast.
A senior police officer told Indian media that the majority of people dead were young.
Ashok Gehlot, chief minister of Jaipur, reportedly said that 500,000 rupees (£4,800),will be used as compensation for the victims’ families.
The Indian Meteorological Department stated that deaths by lightning strikes have doubled since the 1960s. The data suggest that lightning incidents have too increased by 30-40 per cent. The southern state of Andhra Pradesh recorded 36,749 strikes in 13 hours back in 2018.
Lightning strikes kill an average of 2000 Indians per year.