An Indian man was catapulted 40 feet into the air after the roof he was clinging to during a ferocious storm was torn off by gale-force winds. The man, identified locally as Nanhe Miya from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, miraculously survived the terrifying ordeal on Wednesday but sustained injuries after falling to the ground, according to Indian broadcaster NDTV.
Footage Captures the Incident
Footage shared on social media purportedly shows Miya holding onto a tin roof when a powerful gust of wind suddenly blows over the structure, sending it flying. Miya, who was holding onto a rope attached to the roof, is suddenly flung through the air before plunging to the ground. The incident took place in Bamiyana village, close to the local police station.
Speaking to NDTV from his hospital bed, Miya said: 'It was 30-40 feet high. I don't know where I fell. I was at least 50 feet away.' He said he had been gripping onto a rope, hoping it would keep him grounded, but it snapped in the powerful wind.
Deadly Storm Wreaks Havoc
The incident came as a violent storm bringing rain and hail scythed across India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, killing more than 100 people. Storms are common in the northern state during the hot season from March to June before monsoon rains bring respite, but Wednesday's storm injured 59 people, damaged 87 homes, and killed 114 livestock, authorities said.
At least 104 people died in about a dozen districts, the worst hit being the area around the Hindu pilgrimage city of Prayagraj, the office of the state's relief commissioner, Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, told Reuters. 'The entire area where we live turned black for around half an hour,' said Ashok Rai, who lives in the coal-rich industrial town of Obra in the state's Sonbhadra district. 'Strong winds lifted hoardings and signboards and thick coal dust from the ground and hurled them around,' he added.
Widespread Damage and Casualties
Television images showed uprooted trees and billboards swept onto cars in the aftermath of the storm, which also knocked down wooden furniture at roadside stalls. Falling trees and collapsing walls also claimed some lives, a state relief official told Reuters. 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.
In Prayagraj district, residents described panic as strong winds tore through neighbourhoods. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of the state, governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, told officials to help survivors and distribute financial aid within 24 hours, authorities said.
