Patna, July 2: At least 17 more people died in lightning strikes in various parts of Bihar on Thursday, officials said. However, according to unconfirmed reports, at least 20 people have died due to lightning strikes in the state.

According to Police, five people died after being struck by lightning in Dulhin Bazaar of Patna alone. Uttar Pradesh: Lightning Kills 3 People, Leaves 12 Injured in Ballia District.

An official of the Disaster Management Department said that according to the information received from the districts, 17 people died due to lightning in the state on Thursday -- five of them in Patna, four in East Champaran, three each in Samastipur and Katihar and two in Shivhar district.

The Meteorological Department on Wednesday had issued an alert for heavy rain and thunderstorms in the next 48 hours.

On Tuesday, 11 people had died by lightning in various districts of Bihar, while on June 26, at least 96 people died across Bihar in lightning strikes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2020 06:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).