UAE expresses solidarity with India over storm victims

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with the Republic of India following the storm that swept through Uttar Pradesh, which resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, as well as significant damage.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of India, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

Dust storms, heavy rain and lightning damaged homes and other structures and killed at least 96 people in northern India, officials said on Thursday.

The storms also injured more than 50 people as they swept across several districts late Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state.

Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Police and disaster response teams used chainsaws and cranes to clear fallen trees from roads and railway tracks in several districts.

Storms are common in northern India during the hot season from March to June, before the annual monsoon rains arrive.

Narendra N. Srivastava, an administrative official, said emergency teams were deployed across the affected areas and that homes, crops and power infrastructure were widely damaged, particularly in rural districts.

WAM / AP