India dust storms kill at least 91 and injure 160 in north of country

Most died from lightning strikes and collapsing houses

Powerful dust storms have killed at least 91 people and injured 160 in northern India, officials in the country say.

The storm toppled trees and caused houses to collapse in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The devastation was particularly severe on Wednesday night in Agra, the northern Indian city where the Taj Mahal is located, relief commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.

He said 43 people have died there on Wednesday night as the wind speed touched 130km (80 miles) per hour. There was no damage to the monument.

At least 64 people died and another 67 were injured in northern Uttar Pradesh state, Mr Kumar said.

Uprooted trees flattened mud huts of the poor, Mr Kumar said. Electricity supply and telephone lines were snapped in parts of Uttar Pradesh state, he added.

The Press Trust of India news agency said at least 27 others have died and another 100 are injured in Rajasthan.

Most people were killed by houses collapsing and lightning.

Vasundhara Raje, the chief minister of the state, said officials were heading to the affected areas to begin relief work and restore utilities.

“An unfortunate incident, we have been working closely with local authorities to mitigate the situation,” she said on Twitter.

Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, said he was “saddened by the loss of lives due to dust storms in various parts of India.

“Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon.”

Mr Modi said he had “asked officials to coordinate with the respective state governments and work towards assisting those who have been affected.”

The storm caught people by surprise as the monsoon season is still more than six weeks away.