Lightning strikes kill seven in Dinajpur

Four adolescents and three youths were killed in separate lightning incidents in Upashahar and Chirirbandar area of Dinajpur respectively in a span of half an hour on Monday.

In Upashahar, lightning struck four teenagers aged between 12 and 17 at around 3:00pm while they were playing football at a playground nearby the pond of Monwar Chowdhury under no. 4 railgumti area.

The deceased are Md Apon, son of Sadiqul Islam; Sajjad Hossain, son of Aminul Islam, Md Hasan, son of Siddique Hossain and Mim Hossain, son of Raju Mondal.

Three more adolescents were also injured. They are Atique Hossain, son of Babul Hossain, Mominul, son of Idris Ali and Md saju, son of Abdul Gafur.

They are the students of different classes of Cakoriapara madrasa.

Locals said a group of adolescents was playing football in the drizzle at a playground nearby a pond of Monwar Chowdhury. When they heard severe thunders, they took shelter under a tent made by corrugated iron sheet. At that time, lighting killed four on the spot, injuring three others.

Later, the injured teenagers have been taken to the local hospital for treatment.

On the other hand, another lightning claimed the lives of three youths aged between 25 and 28 in Sukdevpur at Bhuriapara of Chirirbandar while they were fishing with rods at 3:30pm at the pond of Basunia.

Locals said they rushed to the pond hearing the scream and found them lying on the bank. Later they were taken to the local hospital where on-duty physicians pronounced them dead.

They are Abdur Razzaq (28), son of Saiful Islam, Abbas Ali (25), son of Altaf Hossain and Moksed Ali, son of Saiful Islam (26).

Chirirbandar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Subrata Kumar Sarkar and Kotwali police station sub-inspector Asaduzzaman said an unnatural death (UD) case will be lodged with both police stations in this regard.