At least eleven people were killed by lightning strikes in five districts on Thursday.
Among the victims, four people were killed in Comilla, three in Rangamati, two in Cox’s Bazar, and one respectively in Khagrachhari and Sylhet.
In Comilla, four people died due to lightning strikes in four upazilas.
These accidents occurred at separate times between afternoon and evening.
These four people died in Chandina, Sadar Dakshin, Burichong and Debidwar upazilas.
Debidwar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Nayan Miah, Sadar Dakhshin Model police station OC Alamgir Hossain, Burichong police station OC Abul Hasanat Khandkar, Chandina police station OC Ahmed Sanjur Morshed confirmed this information.
The deceased are – Daultur Rahman, 47, son of Sundar Ali of Kishmat-Shrimantpur village of Barkait union of Chandina upazila, Atiqul Islam, 50, of North Suryanagar village of Gallier union of Sadar Dakshin upazila, Mokhleshur Rahman, 58, of Dhamti village of Debidwar upazila and Alam Hossain, son of Kuddus Mia of Pachora village of Burichong upazila.
In Rangamati, three people were killed and seven others injured when thunderbolts struck them in separate places in the morning.
The deceased are Nazir Hossain, 50, a resident of Sylheti Para in Rangamati district town, Baharjan Begum, 60, wife of Lal Mia of Baghaichari upazila and Thuibala Tripura, 37, of Sajek.
Dr Shawkat Akbar Khan, resident medical officer of Rangamati General Hospital, said Nazir died on the spot when a thunderbolt struck him while he was catching fish at Kaptai Lake in the morning.
Meanwhile, Baharjan was killed by a lightning strike while bringing cattle from the field amid rain, said Jasmin Chakma, chairman of Rupkari union.
A goat also died during lightning.
On the other hand, Thuibala was killed when a streak of thunderbolts hit her while she was working at her yard in Sajek’s Longthianpara.
Shirin Akter, Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), said two people – Baharjan and Tripura died in the upazila and Tk10,000 each was provided to the family members of the deceased.
Seven people were also injured during lightning strikes in different parts of the district.
In Cox’s Bazar, two workers were killed as a thunderbolt struck them in separate places at Chhari Para in Pekua upazila of the district early Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Didarul Islam, 30, son of Jamir and Md Arafat, 25, son of Jamal Uddin of the upazila.
According to local sources, it started raining at night. The two workers rushed to the field to collect salt in the morning. At that time there was frequent lightning in the sky. The two workers died in the salt field during the rain and lightning in the morning.
Locals took the two people to the Pekua Upazila Health Complex where the doctor on duty declared them dead.
Pekua Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Mujibur Rahman said that in the morning, the bodies of two salt workers from the Rajakhali and Magnama areas were brought to the hospital. However, they died before being brought to the hospital.
In Khagrachhari, a schoolboy was killed by lightning strike while picking up mango during storm at Matiranga upazila in the morning, reports UNB.
The deceased was identified as Yeasin Arfat of Ibrahim Para in the upazila, said Daizy Chakraborty, Matiranga Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
In Sylhet, a farmer was killed and two others injured when a thunderbolt struck them while they were harvesting boro paddy at Dighirpara East union of Kanaighat upazila at noon.
The deceased was identified as Babul Ahmed, 48, son of Abdus Salam.
Abdul Mumin Chowdhury, chairman of Dighirpara East union, said Babul’s nephew Fahim Ahmed, 17 and Pradeep Biswas, son of Babu Biswas were also injured.
Lightning strikes kill 250 people on average every year in the country, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Thunderbolts also kill or injure a large number of livestock.
Lightning strikes mostly occur in from April to May till June and most of the deaths occur in flat lands and haor areas.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 2,164 people died in lightning strikes in the country from 2011 to 2020. Considering the upward trend, the government in 2016 declared it as a national disaster.
Dhaka Tribune's Rangamati Correspondent Bijoy Dhar, Comilla's Correspondent Mahasin Kabir and Cox's Bazar Correspondent Abdul Aziz contributed to the report.
