Storm, hailstorm wreak havoc in Kanpur; 2 killed, several Injured

Kanpur: A sudden storm accompanied by heavy rain and hailstones wreaked havoc across the city, claiming two lives and injuring several people on Saturday.In Kakadev, a massive tree fell on an auto-rickshaw, killing the driver Sonu (35) and passenger Jamuna Devi (62) on the spot. Jamuna Devi's daughter, Jyotsna (30), sustained critical injuries and was rushed to hospital after rescue teams cut through the fallen tree to pull out the victims.During the storm, large trees were uprooted at multiple locations, crippling traffic, damaging property, and snapping power lines, leading to prolonged electricity outages in several areas. The storm led to severe waterlogging at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital, causing inconvenience to patients and visitors. Several parts of the city, including Fazalganj, Govindnagar, Mariyampur Chauraha, Lal Bangla, Swaroop Nagar, Nawabganj, Colonelganj, and Kalyanpur, reported fallen trees and disrupted traffic. Rural areas such as Ghatampur and Shivrajpur also faced power outages.In Kalyanpur's Indira Nagar, a tree collapse injured three people and crushed a scooter. Meanwhile, in Juhi Safed Colony, two trees fell on the same road, damaging a house and destroying a newly purchased car. No casualties were reported in the incident. The storm also caused damage at Kakadev police station, where a tree and a tower fell, damaging vehicles. In Arya Nagar, a house balcony collapsed onto a parked car near Ganges Club, completely wrecking it.Fallen trees and electric poles disrupted power supply in multiple areas, with broken wires leaving residents without electricity for hours. Waterlogging in low-lying areas triggered traffic jams and stranded vehicles across the city.Criticising the situation, Provincial Industries senior vice-president Atul Seth raised concerns over poor infrastructure, alleging that weakly installed electric poles collapsed, exposing lapses in the implementation of Smart City projects.Police and administrative teams continued rescue and restoration work, clearing debris and working to restore normalcy. Authorities have advised residents to stay indoors during adverse weather conditions and avoid unnecessary travel.