New Delhi (CNN) Fierce winds and lightning strikes created by a powerful dust storm have killed about 110 people and injured hundreds more in northwestern India since late Wednesday, according to local authorities.

In the state of Rajasthan, at least 35 people died and more than 200 were injured after winds downed more than 8,000 electricity poles and uprooted hundreds of trees, officials told CNN.

"This has resulted in widespread electricity cuts and water shortages. Most of the deaths occurred after walls and roofs of houses collapsed in the middle of the night," Jaipur District Divisional Commissioner T Ravi Kant said.

An Indian traffic policeman covers his face as he stands on duty in New Delhi.

In neighboring Uttar Pradesh, the death toll stood at at least 73, with the vast majority of those deaths occurring in the city of Agra, where 43 have been confirmed dead. Four people were killed in Uttarakhand.

According to Sanjay Kumar, the relief commissioner at the Uttar Pradesh state disaster management authority, the high casualty number is the result of people becoming trapped under falling debris. "Many houses collapsed due to high intensity winds, or the trees fell over onto the houses," said Kumar.

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