INDIA — At least 110 people have been killed after fierce dust storms struck the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan late Wednesday.

The storms have cut electricity, uprooted trees, destroyed houses and killed livestock, according to BBC.

According to Uttar Pradesh's state disaster management authority commissioner Sanjay Kumar, the high casualty rate is due to people being trapped under falling debris caused from high-intensity winds, lightning strikes and fallen trees, according to CNN.

The annual monsoon season in India is just starting, where afternoon storms and periods of torrential rainfall becomes prevalent.
The powerful winds brought by the afternoon storms could be one of the factors causing so much sand and dust to be swept up into the air.