Eleven people have died and many feared injured in a lightning strike in front of the 12th century Amer Palace near Jaipur city of India’s Rajasthan state.
The incident took place when people were taking selfies at a watchtower amid rain in the Rajasthan capital, reports bdnews24.com citing NDTV.
Dozens of people had been present at the watchtower when the lightning struck. A number of them sustained injuries as they jumped off the watchtower in panic. Twenty-seven people are reported to be present on the watchtower and the fort wall when the incident happened.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced a compensation of 0.5 million rupees for the families of those killed.
Apart from the incident at Amer Palace, nine more casualties by lightning were reported from across the state on Sunday -- one death each in Baran and Jhalawar, four deaths in Kota, and three in Dholpur districts. Seven of those killed were children.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deepest condolences over the deaths.
"Many people have lost their lives due to lightning in some areas of Rajasthan. Deeply saddened by the demise of people. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those killed: PM @narendramodi," Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a tweet.