Sikkim: Woman killed, 3 injured as tree falls during thunderstorm

A 55-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on her during a thunderstorm in Sikkim. Three others were injured in a separate incident. The severe weather caused disruptions, while Delhi experienced light showers bringing relief from the heat.

One woman was killed and three others sustained injuries on Sunday when trees fell during strong winds and heavy rainfall in Sikkim, officials said. The deceased, identified as Kala Devi Chettri, lost her life after a tree collapsed on her in Rakdong Kafer under the Tumin-Lingi Constituency amid a thunderstorm.

According to the Gangtok district police, "A 55-year-old woman, identified as Kala Devi Chettri, died after a tree fell on her during a thunderstorm and heavy rainfall in Rakdong Kafer, under Tumin-Lingi Constituency. The strong winds and rain caused the tree to collapse, striking her on the head and resulting in her death. The incident occurred as severe weather affected several parts of the state, causing disruptions in different areas."

Widespread Damage and Injuries

In separate incidents, three people were injured when a tree collapsed onto a passenger vehicle at Chota Singtam in Pakyong district amid strong winds and heavy rain, officials said. Residents immediately rushed the injured to a nearby hospital.

Several parts of Sikkim experienced sudden weather changes with strong winds, heavy rainfall and hailstorms reported across multiple areas. The intense conditions led to trees being damaged and disrupting normal movement in several localities.

Delhi Receives Relief from Heat

Meanwhile, light showers lashed parts of the national capital morning as the weather turned pleasant after experiencing high temperatures in the last few days.

According to the India Meterological Department (IMD), the temperature in Delhi was recorded at 22.2°C at 5.30 am.

Visuals from Pandit Pant Marg and Ferozeshah Road showcased wet streets and residents making their way through light showers.

IMD forecasted thunderstorms, lightning and hailstorms on March 15 and 16, with no warning for the rest of the week yet.

The light rainfall was accompanied by lightning & gusty winds(40-50kmph) in many parts of the capital, including Safdarjang, Palam and Narela.

This would bring relief from the heat to the residents, as many areas recorded over 30°C temperature yesterday.

IMD Records Significant Temperature Drop

According to IMD, on Saturday, temperature recordings across five key stations showed that Ridge recorded the highest temperature at 33.8°C, followed by Lodi Road at 33.0°C and Ayanagar at 32.8°C. Safdarjung and Palam recorded slightly lower maximums of 32.6°C and 31.5°C.

All stations experienced a significant negative change in temperature, with Palam seeing the largest drop of -3.6, while the Ridge had the smallest at -2.8.

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