Lightning kills 32 across country

At least 32 people were killed and six others injured after being struck by lightning in the capital and nine districts across the country yesterday evening.

Of the victims, eight died in Pabna, five each in Sirajganj and Rajshahi, four in Kishoreganj, two each in the capital, Gazipur, Bogra and Natore, and one each in Narsingdi and Nilphamari.

Two students were killed in a lightning strike while playing football in Jatrabari's Konapara area in Dhaka.

Sahed Sohagh, 21, a computer science student at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, and Noman Hasan Lincoln, 21, a computer engineering student at Mohakhali Polytechnic Institute, died on the spot.

Eight people, including two school students, were killed after being struck by thunderbolts in Sujanagar, Chatmahar and Faridpur upazilas of Pabna.

The dead were identified as Shahid Sarder, 58, of Dakkhin Char village, Hira, 13, son of Yusuf Sheikh of Sonatola village and a class-VII student of Boalia High School, Moyen Sarder, 65, of Bagholpur union, and his grandchild Bagholpur High School student Shikha Khatun, 13, of Sujanagar upazila; Fazlur Rahman, 40, and Fakir Uddin, 70, of Daudkandi village in Chatmahar upazila; and Mosharraf Hossain, 38, and Ajrat Ali of Demra village in Faridpur.

Five people, including a woman and a child, were killed in Ullapara and Raiganj upazilas of Sirajganj.

The deceased were identified as Abdul Latif, 30, of Simla village, and Shahinur, 26, of Betua village in Ullapara; Nupur, 8, and Motaleb, 42, of Chakpur village, and Anwar Hossain, 35, a madrasa teacher and resident of Bejgati village in Raiganj upazila.

In Rajshahi, five people were killed and four others injured by lightning strikes in Mohanpur, Durgapur and Godagari upazilas.

The dead are Abdur Razzak, 28, son of Shamsuddin of Ata Narayanpur village, Abdul Aziz, 50, of Hattoir village, and Sri Soito Chandra, 30, of Ghashigram village in Mohanpur; Laily Begum, 40, of Gusira village in Godagari; and Morzina Begum, 40, of Palsha Khamarupara in Durgapur.

Four people were killed in the same fashion in Kishoreganj.

They are Shariful Islam Shuvo, 18, a 1st-year student of Hossainpur Degree College, Mamata Begum, 40, of Ishapshar village in Tarail upazila; Rojia Khatun, 56, of Koikuri village of Bajitpur upazila; and Swapan, 17, son of Baher Nagar village.

A housewife, Rubina Akhter, and a day labourer, Sattar Ali, 26, were killed in Targaon and Uttar Khamer areas of Kapasia upazila of Gazipur.

Lightning left two siblings -- Anwar Hossain, 37, and Ariful Islam, 25, sons of Hadu Sarker -- dead in Betgari village of Sherpur upazila in Bogra.

In Natore, Mobarak Hossain of Raghunathpur village and Sahara Banu of Uttar Lalpur in Lalpur upazila were killed and two other injured by lightning strikes.

Josna Begum, wife of Musa Miah, died after being hit by lightning in Fakirer char area of Raipura upazila in Narsingdi.

Lovely Begum, 35, wife of Alam Hossain, died in the same manner in Fulerghat village at Kishoreganj upazila in Nilphamari.