Patna, Jul 21 (PTI) At least 10 people died in lightning strikes in four districts of Bihar on Tuesday, a disaster management department official said.

Banka district accounted for four deaths, while three died in Nalanda, two in Jamui and one in Nawada, the official said.

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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the deaths and directed officials to pay Rs 4 lakh as ex gratia to the next of kin of each deceased, an official release said.

Kumar appealed to people to stay indoors as far as possible during bad weather conditions.

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More than 180 people have died due to lightning strikes in the state in the past one month. Of them, 83 people in 23 districts lost their lives on a single day, June 25.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)