Lightning strike kills at least 11 people visiting popular tourist attraction
A lightning strike killed at least 11 people and injured 11 more at a tourist attraction in Amer, India.
Indian officials responded to Amer Fort, a historical monument, on Sunday after lightning struck the watch tower at the fort and many people jumped off in a panic, local newspaper The Hindu reported.
"When the lightning struck, the tower's wall collapsed, many people were buried under it. Since the fort is on a hill, when the debris was falling and space reduced, some people also fell into a ditch," Shankar Lal Saini, a senior disaster management official in Jaipur, told CNN.
Women and children were among the 11 pronounced dead at Sawai Man Singh Hospital, and 11 others were rescued and were in stable condition, Saini told CNN.
BBC reports some victims were taking selfies at the top of the watch tower in the rain when the lightning struck.
A search continued until Monday morning to ensure everyone was accounted for.
"Because it is a hilly area and there are a lot of trees, the rescue teams kept looking till morning in case anyone is left behind," Saini told CNN.
Aljazeera reported 38 people died in 24 hours across two Indian states because of lightning strikes.
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Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.