Kanpur Storm Tragedy: Two Dead, Many Injured as Hailstorm Ravages City
A sudden and violent storm, accompanied by torrential rain and hailstones, unleashed chaos across Kanpur on Saturday, resulting in two fatalities and multiple injuries. The extreme weather event caused widespread destruction, uprooting trees, damaging infrastructure, and crippling essential services.
Fatal Tree Collapse Claims Two Lives
In a tragic incident in Kakadev, a massive tree toppled onto an auto-rickshaw, instantly killing the driver, Sonu (35), and passenger Jamuna Devi (62). Rescue teams had to cut through the fallen tree to extract the victims. Jamuna Devi's daughter, Jyotsna (30), sustained critical injuries in the accident and was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment.
Widespread Damage and Disruption Across the City
The storm's fury was felt throughout Kanpur, with large trees uprooted at numerous locations. This led to severe traffic disruptions, property damage, and snapped power lines, causing prolonged electricity outages in several neighborhoods. Areas heavily impacted include:
- Fazalganj
- Govindnagar
- Mariyampur Chauraha
- Lal Bangla
- Swaroop Nagar
- Nawabganj
- Colonelganj
- Kalyanpur
Rural regions such as Ghatampur and Shivrajpur also reported significant power failures due to the storm.
Additional Incidents of Injury and Destruction
In Kalyanpur's Indira Nagar, a collapsing tree injured three individuals and crushed a scooter. Meanwhile, in Juhi Safed Colony, two trees fell on the same road, damaging a house and destroying a newly purchased car, though no casualties occurred there. The storm also caused damage at the Kakadev police station, where a tree and a tower collapsed, damaging vehicles parked nearby.
In Arya Nagar, a house balcony gave way and fell onto a parked car near Ganges Club, completely wrecking the vehicle. Fallen trees and electric poles disrupted power supply across multiple zones, with broken wires leaving residents without electricity for hours. Waterlogging in low-lying areas exacerbated the situation, triggering traffic jams and stranding vehicles throughout the city.
Infrastructure Criticisms and Official Response
Criticizing the aftermath, Provincial Industries senior vice-president Atul Seth expressed concerns over poor infrastructure, alleging that weakly installed electric poles collapsed, highlighting lapses in the implementation of Smart City projects. The storm led to severe waterlogging at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, causing significant inconvenience to patients and visitors.
Police and administrative teams have been actively engaged in rescue and restoration efforts, working to clear debris and restore normalcy. Authorities have issued advisories urging residents to stay indoors during adverse weather conditions and avoid unnecessary travel to ensure safety.
