Lightning strikes kill eight

At least eight people died after being struck by lightning in Brahmanbaria and Kishoreganj yesterday.

In Brahmanbaria, five people, including an eight-year-old girl, died during a thunderstorm in Nasirnagar and Akhaura upazilas that lasted for around 45 minutes in the afternoon.

Khairul Alam, officer-in-charge of Nasirnagar Police Station, and Md Sami Uddin, OC of Akhaura Police Station, confirmed the deaths.

In Nasirnagar's Sadar union, a farm labourer, Abdur Razzak, 35, died after being struck by lightning while harvesting paddy in Tekanagar village.

He was from Chanpur village in Kalikaccha union of neighbouring Sarail upazila of the district.

Around the same time, Mohammad Shamsul Huda, a farmer from Gokarna village in Nasirnagar upazila, also died similarly.

In Durgapur village of Nasirnagar's Bholakut union, an eight-year-old girl named Jakia was hit by a lightning bolt while playing in the yard of her home.

In Akhaura's Dharakhar union, Selim Mia, 60, a farmer from Ruti village, died while gathering straw in his field around 5:15pm.

In Bongoj village of the same union, another farmer, Jamir Khan, was struck by lightning and died on the spot while he was heading to the fields with a paddy harvester.

Meanwhile, three farmers died while doing agricultural work in Bhairab and Kuliarchar upazilas of Kishoreganj in the afternoon.

The victims are Faruk Mia, 60, of Rasulpur village in Bhairab upazila; Faisal Mia, 28, of Srinagar village; and Kabir Hossain, 25, of Hazari Nagar village in Kuliarchar upazila.

Umme Habiba Jui, medical officer of Bhairab Upazila Health Complex, confirmed that they were brought dead to the hospital around 5:00pm.

Another farmer, Monir, 25, of Phulbaria upazila of Mymensingh, was critically injured.

Bhairab Police Station OC Khandaker Foad Ruhani confirmed the matter.

At least 10 people, including two school students, have died from lightning strikes in the last 10 days in Kishoreganj. Seven others have also been injured.

Md Rashim, general secretary of Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum, said that a total of 75 people have died from lightning strikes from January to April 30 this year, and of them, two-thirds were engaged in agricultural work.

[Our correspondents from Brahmanbaria and Kishoreganj contributed to this report.]