43 dead in violent thunderstorms

Fierce thunderstorms with heavy rains uprooted trees and destroyed hundreds of homes, crushing dozens of people to death and injuring scores of others in northern India, police said today.

At least 43 people were killed and 70 hurt in the deluge and squalls that erupted late Friday. The powerful storms slashed a wide swath across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, uprooting trees and power pylons and damaging homes and crops.