India’s famous Taj Mahal sustained damage on Wednesday night in a thunderstorm in Agra that also resulted in the death of at least 15 people.

India Today reported work to repair the damage has already started.

A 12-foot metal pillar at the Darwaza-e-Rauza gate collapsed as wind speeds crossed 100 kmph, officials confirmed.

According to News 18 reports, the main monument was also affected during the 40-minute long rainfall in the region. A minaret by the gate collapsed, while a small white dome was hit too.

Footage showed the stone pillars lying in large broken pieces, the distinct spire still intact but separated cleanly from the shaft.

Ankit Namdev, a conservation assistant with the Archaeological Survey of India, which preserves the monument, said the northwest pillar on top of the gate, a stone flower vase and a brass filial were damaged in the storm, the Hindustan Times reported.

The storm in Agra and several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday affected power poles and uprooted trees. At least 15 people were killed and 37 injured in Agra district.

Additional District Magistrate (Finance) Rakesh Malpani, who is looking into the casualties of the storm, told the Hindustan Times that seven of the 15 deaths were reported from the Sadar tehsil, five from Kirawali, two from Bah and one in Kheragarh.

In 1983, the monument was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site for being ‘the jewel of Muslim art in India, and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.’ 

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

Efforts to restore its grandeur have dragged into a fourth year, with scaffolding marring the view for the 10,000-plus tourists that visit the 17th-century mausoleum every day.