Bhopal, Mar 13 (UNI) Sixteen people were killed when lightning struck them in separate incidents in the past 24 hours in Madhya Pradesh even as unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm lashed the state's northern and north-eastern part causing heavy damage to crops.

Two women and three children of a family were killed after lightning struck them in Rewa, whereas four more people died in separate incidents there. In Sidhi, five people were killed and two injured.

One person was killed and one injured in Satna, while one person died and five were injured in Umaria. In Damoh, one person was injured.

The state capital witnessed a cloudy sky last evening with winds lashing the town. In the day, passing clouds were seen.

In Damoh, unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm lashed at least 60 villages damaging standing crops. Collector Pawan Sharma had sent a joint team of revenue and agriculture departments in the affected areas.

Rainfall and hailstorm occurred in about 30 villages in Sheopur, while rainfall lashed Jabalpur, Gwalior and nearby districts.

Regional meteorological department director D P Dubey told UNI here that a system built over the state had weakened because of western disturbances leading to a change in weather.

The department forecasted showers along with lightning at isolated places in Rewa, Sagar and Jabalpur divisions in the next 24 hours.

Overnight rainfall recorded in Jabalpur was 10.3 mm, Pachmarhi 10.1 mm, Umaria 6.5 mm, Malajkhand 5.8 mm and Satna 2.9 mm.

UNI