The sandstorm hit northern India, Hundreds of people in the news were killed

At least 95 people were killed and dozens more were injured in a violent sandstorm that hit Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan states in northern India. In fact, officials say the death toll could rise.

The storm occurred on Wednesday (2/4/2018) disrupted electricity, uprooted trees, destroyed houses and killed livestock. Many died asleep when their home collapsed after being struck by lightning.
Dust storms often occur in northern India during the summer but the casualties in this disaster are unusual. Sixty-four people were killed in Uttar Pradesh, 43 of them in the district of Agra which is home to the Taj Mahal monument.
State Minister Chief Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to personally monitor aid operations.
Aid commissioner Sanjay Kumar said the state government had "requested a detailed report from the affected districts".
The storm also affected three districts in neighboring Rajasthan - Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur - where at least 31 people were killed. Officials say Alwar is the most severely affected. The school in the district was closed.
The state government also announced that the families of the victims would receive 400,000 rupees (about $ 6,000) in compensation.
"I've been in the office for 20 years and this is the worst I've ever seen," Hemant Gera, secretary for disaster management and assistance in Rajasthan, told the BBC.
"We had a high-intensity dust storm on April 11 - 19 people died at that time - but this time it happened at night so many people slept and could not get out of their homes when the mud walls collapsed."
He said the team was trying to return electricity to homes after 200 to 300 power lines fell in a storm. The storm also hit the capital of Delhi, more than 100 km (62 miles), along with heavy rains on Wednesday night.