At least 17 people were killed in lightning strikes during thunderstorm in eight districts of Bihar on Sunday.

Among these, six were in Bhagalpur and three in Vaishali district, while the rest were in Munger, Banka, Khagaria, Katihar, Saharsa and Madhepura districts.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the deaths and directed the disaster management officials to provide Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the victims.

In Odisha’s Nuapada district at least four persons were killed, while in Chhattisgarh three persons lost their lives in lightning on Sunday, police said.