Lightning kills at least 17 countrywide

At least 17 people were killed, struck by lightning, when a sudden thundershower prevailed over Dhaka and other parts of the country.

Including capital Dhaka, reports of casualties came in from Rajshahi, Sirajganj, Pabna, Natore and Dinajpur, our local correspondents report.

It was a seasonal norwester, locally known as Kalboishakhi, an official of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department told The Daily Star.

In Dhaka, two youths – Sayedur Rahman, 21, a student of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, and Noman Ahsan, 21, a polytechnic student – were killed in Jatrabari.

They were playing football in Katherpul area when lightning struck them around 5:00pm, said Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Jatrabari Police Station.

In Rajshahi, three people were killed and four others injured by a lightning strike in Mohonpur upazila.

The deceased – Abdul Hakim, 45, Rahmat Ali, 30, Saitya Nath, 35, -- died this afternoon struck by lightning, said Abdus Samad, chairman of Mohonpur upazila.

In Sirajganj, three people including a child were killed by lightning at different areas in Pangasia union of Raiganj upazila around 6:00pm, Md Abdus Salam, chairman of the union parishad, said.

The identity of the victims could not be known immediately.

In Pabna, lighting killed three in Raninagar union of Sujanagar upazila. The deceased were Md Moyen Prang, 65, and his granddaughter Shikha Khatun, 12, and Shahidur Rahman, 52, said Toufikul Islam Pijush, local union parishad chairman. 

In Natore, two people – Mobarak Hossain, 37, and Sahara Banu, 28, - died in Lalpur upazila, Abdul Hai Talukder, officer-in-charge of Lalpur Police Station, said.

In Dinajpur, a farmer was killed in cardiac arrest following a lightning in Phulbari upazila of Dinajpur. Deceased Mongal Murmu, 50, of Basudevpur village, was harvesting paddy at Ampara village around 11:30am, locals said.

In Tangail, a labourer was killed in Delduar upazila. Identity of the victim could not be ascertained immediately.

In Gazipur, two people – Abdus Sattar, 30, and Kajol Mia’s wife Robina, 36 – died in Kapasia upazila, Mohamamd Shahjahan, a sub-inspector of Kapasia Police Station, said.