At least 107 people were killed by lightning bolts in India over the weekend, in the eastern state of Bihar and northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Dozens more were injured, officials said.

Lightning strikes happen in India, but not like this. Bihar’s disaster management minister, Lakshmeshwar Rai, said this was one of the highest daily tolls from lightning that the state has ever recorded.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are also the two states with some of the highest levels of persecution against Christians. From 2016 to 2019, India recorded 1,774 cases of hate crimes against Christians. Many crimes against Christians go unreported.

There was a significant jump in the number of cases in 2019 (527 cases), as compared to 2018 (447), and 2017 (440).

Christians in Uttar Pradesh are facing the greatest hostility since India’s independence in 1947. Uttar Pradesh, where 24 people were struck by lightening in one day, registered the maximum number of cases against Christians in 2019, for the third year in a row.

Other leading hostile states like Bihar also witnessed the largest spike in persecution attacks, especially in villages. 83 people died in one day from lightening strikes in Bihar state.

Are the two related: Christian persecution and lightening strikes? Maybe not, BUT perhaps it would be a good idea to not be guilty of Christian persecution, on the day that you are killed by a lightening strike.