9 killed in dust storm in western India

At least nine people were killed in a dust storm that hit the western Indian state of Rajasthan Tuesday evening, a senior police official said Wednesday.

"The dust storm lasted for one hour. While five people died in the state's Bharatpur district, two persons died in Dholpur and two others in Bikaner. Some deaths happened due to wall collapse because of the storm and strong winds," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Rajasthan's Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has announced a compensation of 400,000 rupees (8,000 U.S. dollars) for the families of each of the victims.

Dust storms are common in Rajasthan because of the desert there.