The devastating dust storm that hit the city and adjoining districts killed about 45 people. Many are still feared trapped in the rubbles.Some 300 villages were gutted in fire, which was stoked by the winds blowing at 120 km/h.
Reports coming in say the maximum casualties were in Kannauj where 12 persons died. Five of them were children who had taken refuge in a house, which caught fire seconds later. Nine persons died in Etawah, seven in Kanpur Dehat, four in Kanpur city, three in Auraiya, four in Jalaun, three in Farrukhabad, three in Unnao and one in Fatehpur. The officials said the death toll could go up further.
The winds uprooted thousands of tree, twisted electricity poles in Kanpur and Jhansi divisions comprising 10 districts. Telephone and rail services were badly hit in all these districts. The mango crop is said to be affected adversely by the storm. NK Srivastava, DIG of Kanpur Range, said police units sent to the affected districts assisting relief operations assessed the losses as severe.