17 killed in violent rainstorm in northern India

Lucknow: At least 17 people were killed in northern India when a fierce rainstorm lashed the region, officials said on Monday.

Strong winds whipped through vilages during Sunday's storm, and most of those killed in Uttar Pradesh state were trapped under collapsed roofs or crushed by uprooted trees, said Surendra Srivastava, a police spokesman in Lucknow, the state capital.

Heavy rains and winds hammered several parts of the state for more than an hour, according to G.K. Gupta, a local meteorological official.

Trees and electricity poles blown down halted rail and road traffic for several hours. Train services were restored by early Monday, railway official Manoj Mishra said.