A terrifying viral video from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district has become the face of the massive storm disaster that has left at least 104 people dead across the state in the last 24 hours. It shows a man being flung into the air while trying to hold on to a tin shed during violent winds.
The man has been identified as Nanhe Khan, 50, from Bareilly’s Bhamora area, who survived the impact with a fracture in his left hand and leg. But the same storm killed a 12-year-old girl and a 76-year-old woman under the same police circle. The girl was crushed under a falling tree, and the woman died after wooden blocks stacked on a roof collapsed on her.
Who is the viral ‘flying man’ and what happened in Bareilly?
According to the police, Nanhe was holding a pole supporting a temporary marriage structure when fierce winds uprooted the tin shed and hurled him several feet into the air before he crashed to the ground. His flight was captured by a local who was making a video of the storm.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Pawan Kumar Singh, Station House Officer, Bhamora police station, where the incident took place, informed that as Nanhe held onto the pole of a tin shade tightly, he was lifted and then thrown away by the strong winds that uprooted the shade.
According to Singh, Nanhe suffered fractures in his leg and hand but is stable. “He was admitted to hospital and later discharged,” said Singh. Locals said that Nanhe remains in shock.
The viral clip has emerged as one of the starkest visuals from the deadly weather system that battered Uttar Pradesh with lightning, heavy rain, hailstorm and unusually powerful winds.
Which are the worst-hit districts?
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According to the latest figures, the disaster has so far left 104 dead, 52 injured, 130 animals killed, and 98 houses damaged across the state. The worst-hit district was Prayagraj, which reported 21 deaths, followed by Mirzapur (19), Sant Ravidas Nagar-Bhadohi (14), Fatehpur (11), and Bareilly (2). Officials said most deaths and injuries were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures, flying objects and wall or roof collapses triggered by the high-speed storm.
Unusually high-speed storm
Atul Kumar Singh, a senior scientist with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told The Indian Express that storm activity is common during the season, but “speed-wise, this event was unusually intense”. He said the storm’s intensity had crossed 100 kmph in certain areas.
According to the IMD, the severe weather developed due to an interaction between a cyclonic circulation over the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh in the lower atmosphere, easterly winds coming from southern Rajasthan, and westerly winds in the middle troposphere.
In an official note, the IMD said isolated places witnessed storm winds exceeding 100 kmph, while several areas experienced gusts of 60-70 kmph, leading to large-scale destruction.
The powerful winds uprooted trees, damaged houses, collapsed temporary structures, and snapped power lines in several districts, causing panic in rural and urban areas alike.
Casualty and loss figurers may rise
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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all district administrations to immediately assess the losses and ensure compensation reaches affected families within 24 hours. The relief commissioner’s office is monitoring the situation round-the-clock, while district authorities have been instructed to submit updates every three hours as weather alerts are in place in parts of the state. Sources say that the figures of casualties and losses are likely to increase.
