A Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) soldier died after being struck by lightning while patrolling the Rowmari border in Kurigram.
At least four others, including fellow BGB personnel and an Ansar member, were reported injured during the incident. The lightning strike occurred around midnight on Wednesday, reports Bangla Tribune.
The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old soldier Riyad Hossain of the Dadevanga BOP under Jamalpur 35 BGB Battalion. He was the son of Abdul Latif of Atpara upazila in Netrokona district.
The injured include sergeant Jasim, 52, soldier Nadim, 28, soldier Shaheen, 28, and Ansar member Ferdous Hossain, 36.
According to sources at BGB and the border, a BGB team was patrolling near International Main Pillar 1056 around midnight on Wednesday when a thunderstorm and heavy rain began. The team took shelter under a tin-roofed structure, where a sudden lightning strike left six people injured.
The injured were immediately taken to Rowmari Health Complex, where the on-duty physician declared soldier Riyad Hossain dead.
Two of the seriously injured individuals have been referred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, while the others are undergoing treatment at Rowmari Health Complex.
Sergeant Abdul Halim, the company commander of BGB's Dadevanga camp, confirmed that some patrol team members had been injured by lightning, but declined to provide information regarding the fatality. “I have sent them to the hospital. Please collect the information from there,” he said.
Rowmari police station OC Lutfor Rahman said: “Upon receiving the information, I went to the hospital that night. One BGB member died due to the lightning strike. He passed away before being brought in. Two of the injured have been sent to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, and the rest are receiving treatment at Rowmari hospital.”
Heavy rainfall accompanied by intense thunderstorms was reported across parts of Kurigram since midnight on Wednesday, leaving residents, including children, in a state of panic due to severity of the weather.
