Lightning strikes kill 9 across the country

Lightning strike

Dhaka, May 23 –  Nine people including a woman died after being struck by lightning in  Narsingdi, Chandpur, Kurigram and Brahmanbaria districts on Tuesday.

Of them, four were killed in three upazilas of Narsingdi district.

The deceased were identified as Jabed Mia, 12, son of Ismail Mia of Gopinathpur village and Samsunnahar, 45, wife of Momraz Mia of Fakirer Char village in Raipura upazila in Narsingdi while Khokon Mia, 30, son of Khorshed Mia and Raihan Mia, 30, son of Badal Mia of Shibpur and Monohardi upazilas respectively from the same district.

Farid Uddin, officer-in-charge of Monohardi Police Station, said Raihan Mia, a Qatar expatriate, died on the spot when a streak of thunder struck him while returning home amid rain in the afternoon.

Besides, Samsunnahar died while she was engaged in taking paddy husk near her residence around 11 am during rain in Raipura upazila, said Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Raipur police station.

Meanwhile, a thunderbolt struck Jabed Mia while he was playing football around 2 pm in Raipura upazila, the OC said.

Khokon Mia, a farmer died by lightning strike while working in his field in Shibpur upazila.

Two farmers died in Kurigram's Ulipur and Chilmari upazila after being struck by lightning, police said.

The deceased were identified as Shahjalal, 45, of Ulipur upazila and Obru Sheikh, 50, of Chilmari upazila’s Raniganj union.  

Meanwhile, Hasan Majhi -- a resident of Sadar upazila of Chandpur -- died after being struck by lightning in Sadar upazila of Chandpur. He was 45.

Md Al Mamun Patwary, chairman of Rampur union under the upazila, confirmed the incident saying that Hasan was killed as the lightning struck him while collecting mangoes amid heavy rainfall.

Two labourers were killed and another injured in separate lightning strikes in Nasirnagar and Bancharampur in Brahmanbaria.

The deceased were identified as Mojammel Huq of Nasirnagar upazila’s Goalnagar union and Monu Mia of Bancharampur’s Manikpur area.

The Nasirnagar upazila administration gave Tk 25,000 to the family of the deceased. - UNB