Lightning strikes have killed 38 people in two Indian states over the past 24 hours, including 11 people taking photos atop a watchtower.
The fatalities occurred as thunderstorms hit the western state of Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, a northern state bordering Nepal.
Jaipur alone recorded 11 victims. All were taking pictures in the rain atop the 12th Century Amer Fort, a popular tourist attraction in the Rajasthan capital.
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Some twenty-seven people were on the tower when the lightning struck, with some reportedly jumping to the ground.
Across Rajasthan nine more deaths from lightning strikes were reported.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, expressed his condolences to the families of those involved.
"Many people have lost their lives due to lightning in some areas of Rajasthan," he wrote.
"Deeply saddened by the demise of people.
"I express my deepest condolences to the families of those killed."
The state’s chief minister, Ashok Gehlot, announced 500,000 rupees (£4,800) as compensation for the families of those who have died.
According to Times of India, 14 people also died in Prayagraj, five in Kanpur Dehat, three each in Firozabad and Kaushambi and two each in Unnao and Chitrakoot after lightning struck them.
India is currently in monsoon season, which normally lasts from June to September.
Heavy downpours are expected again on Monday, according to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
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The IMD has said that deaths by lightning strikes have doubled in the country since the 1960s - one of the reasons they cited was the climate crisis.
Lightning strikes have killed some 2,000 Indians on average every year since 2004.
The data says that lightning incidents too have increased by 30%-40% since the early- to mid-1990s.
In 2018 the southern state of Andhra Pradesh recorded 36,749 lightning strikes in just 13 hours.
Officials say they are more common in areas with thinner tree cover, leaving people vulnerable to being struck.
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