MP: Two minor girls die after lightning strike in Tikamgarh​

BHOPAL: Tragedy struck Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday as two eight-year-old girls, identified as Nibiya and Tanvi Sahu, lost their lives when lightning struck a tree under which they had taken shelter.​

According to police, the incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. during a sudden onset of thunderstorms and gusty winds in Baidora village.​

The fatal strike came amid extreme weather volatility in Madhya Pradesh, where northern districts are battling severe storms while western and central regions are enduring a blistering heatwave.​

Reports indicate that the weather took a violent turn in the Niwari tehsil of Tikamgarh district, where several villages were hit by hailstorms and intense winds.​

While these localised storms brought destruction and grief to the north, the rest of the state remained gripped by relentless heat.​

Ratlam emerged as the hottest spot in the state, recording a maximum temperature of 44.5 degrees Celsius.​

Other regions also faced high-velocity winds, with Balaghat reporting wind speeds reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour.​

The Weather Centre in Bhopal has issued an urgent forecast for the night hours, predicting that the atmospheric instability will continue.​

Residents in Morena and Bhind have been warned of moderate thunderstorms with lightning and possible hail, with wind speeds expected to reach 60 kilometres per hour.​