Lucknow, May 12
Thunderstorm and rains left 31 persons dead in Uttar Pradesh and snapped power lines in many places, including the state capital.

While 26 persons were killed in Sultanpur district, five were killed in Pratapgarh district.

The thunder, rain and squalls hit the city late Friday, soon after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati concluded her first press conference after her party's win in the assembly polls.

The storm literally mauled large parts of the city, uprooting trees, bringing down hoardings, lampposts, power lines and plunging major parts of the state capital into total darkness.

Even the Election Commission was paralysed for sometime with all computers abruptly getting shut.

Power authorities failed to restore power in most areas till Saturday noon.

"I doubt if normal power supply would be restored in all affected areas before Saturday evening," remarked Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation managing director Avanish Awasthi. "Our men have been on the job since last night, but the magnitude of the task is so huge that it is bound to take time," Awasthi said. — IANS