Lightning strikes kill 14 in different districts

Desk Report: At least 14 people were killed in lightning strikes in eight districts --Sirajganj, Magura, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Naogaon, Rangamati, Gazipur, and Sunamganj- on Sunday.

In Sirajganj, five people, including father and son, were killed in lightning strikes in Kazipur, Sahajadpur and Kamarkhanda upazilas on Sunday.

Shamsul Mondol, 55, and his son Arman Ali, 14, of Kazipur upazila in the district were killed while working on their peanut field at Tekani char of the upazila.

In another incident, Quader Hossain, 37, Pestakukra village under Kamarkhanda upazila, was killed in a lightning strike while cutting paddy on his field amid rain, police said.

Nabil, 17, son of Faruq Khan and his friend Polin, 15, son of Rasedul Islam, residents of Chhoiani village of Sahajadpur upazila, died on the spot at the village as lightning struck them.

In Magura, three people were killed as lightning struck them in Sadar and Salikha upazilas.

The deceased are: Shamim, a rickshaw van driver of Akkurpara, Alom, son of Abur Rashid of Rai village, both under Sadar upazila, and Mehedi, of Bunagati village under Shalikha upazila.

In Noakhali, Iqbal Hasnat Pial, a class five student, sustained injuries when a thunderbolt struck him in a field at Laxminarayanpur at about 11.30 am. He was playing with his friends when the incident took place.

Pial, 12, son of Sohel Rana Jaglu, was rushed to Noakhali General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

In Brahmanbaria, Abdur Rahim, 40, a farmer, died on the spot as he was hit by a lightning strike while harvesting crops in a field at Doroin village in Akhaura upazila this morning, said officer-in-charge of Akhaura police station Mosarrof Hossain.

In Naogaon, a lightning hit housewife Sonavan, 24, wife of Rubel Hossain, resident of Sapahar upazila. She died on the spot.

In Gazipur, garment worker Jafrul Islam, 20, died on the spot in Matikata area under Kaliakoir upazila as thunderbolt struck him. Five others workers were injured in the incident.

In Rangamati, Mansura Begum, 35, of Baghaichhari upazila, was killed in a lightning strike while she was bringing back home her cattle from field around 10 am, police said.

In Sunamganj, Liton Mia, 30, a farmer of Syedpur village in Sadar upazila, was killed when a thunderbolt struck him while working on his cropland this morning.

risingbd/Dhaka/April 29, 2018/A K Azad