Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): Terrifying visuals of a storm-linked incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district have gone viral, showing a man flung nearly 50 feet into the air along with a tin shed during strong winds and heavy rain. 

Nanhe Ansari, who sustained serious injuries in the incident, has now recounted the horrifying moments, saying he survived only because of the prayers of his children.

The incident took place in Bamiyana village under the Bhamora police station area when a severe thunderstorm lashed the district on Wednesday evening, uprooting structures and causing panic among residents.

Ansari suffered fractures in his hands and legs after being flung through the air and crashing to the ground. He is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Recounting the terrifying ordeal, Ansari told IANS he had initially taken shelter beneath a tin shed in a marriage hall after the weather suddenly worsened.

"When the storm and strong winds started, I was in my e-rickshaw. Seeing the weather worsen, I went under a tin shed. Apart from me, there were four other people there. They were tying the shed to a beam with ropes. I was holding onto the tin sheet," he said.

He added that within moments, the storm intensified violently.

"Meanwhile, a very strong storm hit. While the others stayed down when the rope snapped, the tin sheet I was holding carried me away with it. From a height of nearly 50 feet, it threw me around 80 feet away," Ansari said.

Describing the impact, he said he had no idea where he landed after being swept away by the wind.

"It was around 50 feet high. I don’t know where I fell. I was at least 80 feet away," he said.

Ansari believes his survival was nothing short of a miracle.

"I survived because of my children’s prayers; otherwise, there was no hope of survival," he added emotionally.

Shocking visuals of the incident have surfaced online, showing the powerful winds uprooting the tin shed as Ansari was carried into the air along with it.

The incident came amid widespread destruction caused by thunderstorms, heavy rain, and lightning across several districts of Uttar Pradesh.

According to officials, dozens of people have lost their lives in storm-related incidents across the state, while many others have been injured.

(IANS)