Lightning strikes during thunderstorms killed 16 people across 7 districts in Bihar on Tuesday taking the total number of such deaths to 36 in June as the Southwest monsoon intensifies in the state.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has offered his deepest condolences to the affected families and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to be given immediately to the next of kin of all the deceased.

The state administration has urged people to stay at home during thunderstorms in order to stay safe.

Bihar has been recording the highest number of deaths in the country due to lightning strikes. According to India's second annual Lightning Report, Bihar has reported the most deaths due to lightning between April 1, 2020- March 31, 2021 (401 deaths), followed by Uttar Pradesh ( 238 deaths), Madhya Pradesh (228), Odisha (156), and Jharkhand (132), respectively.

Other states reported less than 100 deaths in the same period, as per the report.