Deadly India storms

At least 140 people were killed and many more were injured when massive dust storms struck the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on May 2. Most of the deaths and injuries were caused when buildings collapsed onto occupants due to the high winds. 

The storms, which included rain and hail, caused widespread power outages and killed livestock and crops.

The country’s capital, Delhi, is just north of Uttar Pradesh and was also hit, but the storm had weakened by that point and caused little damage there.

Three weeks earlier, on April 12, a windstorm toppled two 17th-century minarets at different entrances to the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. No injuries were reported. One minaret fell at the Royal Gate, the main entrance to the site. The other fell at the south gate. Restoration work was being conducted as of press time.