Sat Apr 12 08:10:25 UTC 2025: ## Devastating Thunderstorms Kill at Least 69 in Bihar and Nepal
**Patna, Bihar, April 12, 2025** – At least 69 people have died in unusually severe thunderstorms that swept across Bihar, India, and neighboring Nepal this week, officials reported on Saturday. The majority of the fatalities, 61, occurred in Bihar on Thursday and Friday due to strong thunder and lightning storms. A further eight deaths were reported in Nepal, attributed to lightning strikes on Wednesday and Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning of further heavy rain for Bihar on Saturday. This tragic event underscores the escalating threat of extreme weather events linked to climate change. Scientists have previously warned of a sharp rise in deadly lightning strikes in India, with nearly 1,900 deaths annually attributed to this phenomenon. A study covering the period from 1967 to 2020 revealed a particularly significant increase in lightning-related deaths between 2010 and 2020. While flash floods and lightning strikes claim thousands of lives each year, experts stress that rising global temperatures are exacerbating the frequency and intensity of such disasters.
First Piper 