Lightning kills at least 17 in 10 districts

Lightning
Lightning

At least 17 people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in Narayanganj, Sunamganj, Rajshahi, Jamalpur, Pabna, Moulvibazar, Rajbari, Cumilla, Habiganj and Nilphamari districts on Monday, news agency UNB reports.

In Narayanganj, five people -- a schoolboy, a woman and three farmers -- were killed as they were struck by lightning in Rupganj and Sonargaon upazilas.

The deceased are farmer Obaidul Haque, 40, of Musarchar village in Sonargaon, schoolboy Farhad Sheikh, 13, son of Abdul Jalil of Tentulia village in Rupganj, Nurjahan Begum, 68, of Kalagachha of the upazila, farmer Rafiqul Islam, 35, son of Nurul Haque of Tawra in the upazila and Hashem Mollah, 15, son of Kamal Mollah of Bhelab of the upazila.

A farmer was killed after being hit by a thunderbolt at Jamkhola haor in Dakkhin Sunamganj upazila in Sunamganj in the morning.

The deceased was identified as Md Yeahia, 42, son of Md Elias Ali of Raipur village in Borochatul union of Kanaighat upazila.

Md Jakir Hossain, sub-inspector of Dakkhin Sunamganj Police Station, said a streak of thunderbolt struck the farmer around 11 am while he was cutting paddy in a field around 11am, leaving him dead on the spot.

In Habiganj, another farmer Shamsul Haque, 30, son of Gazi Rahman of Japu Kornopara, was killed as lightning hit him while working in his paddy field in a haor near the Sutki River around 11am.

In Jamalpur, Hasibur Rahman, a farmer of Shamerpar village in Sarishabari upazila, was killed when a thunderbolt hit him while working in his Boro field in the morning.

In another incident, Bakul Miah, 25, son of Abdus Sattar of Dakkhin Chinaduli village in Islampur upazila, died after being hit by lightning while crossing the Jamuna River by a boat for going to his cropland around 9 am.

In Rajshahi, a farmer was killed when a thunderbolt bore down on him during rain while spraying pesticides at his cropland at Naupara village in Puthia upazila in the morning.

The deceased was identified as Yeakub Ali, 40, son of Araj Uddin of the village.

Besides, Bablu, a farmer of Aynapukur village in Godagari upazila, and an unidentified brick kiln worker in Motihar area of the city, were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike in the morning.

In Pabna, a man was killed in a lightning strike when he took shelter under a mango tree amid rain at Pakshi in Ishwardi upazila.

In Moulvibazar, an expatriate was killed when a thunderbolt struck him while returning home from a paddy field at Uttarbhagh village in Kamalganj upazila.

The deceased was identified as Tamij Uddin, 25, son of Abdul Matalib. He returned home from Oman on leave.

In Rajbari, a farmer named Abdul Matin Sheikh, 45, son of Matu Sheikh of Dhaogram village in Baliakandi upazila, was killed when he was struck by lightning while working at his cropland around 10:30 am.

In Cumilla, a farm labourer was killed when a thunderbolt struck him while working in a paddy field at Dolshamudra in Chouddagram upazila.

Bhulu Miah, 30, son of Habibur Rahman, hailed from Talukgol village in Jaldhaka upazila of Nilphamari district.

In Nilphamari, farmer Abdur Rab, 55, was killed after being struck by a thunderbolt around 12pm while working in a paddy field at Koimari village in Jaldhaka upazila.