Seven more people were killed by lightning strikes in Chittagong, Gaibandha, Joypurhat, Habiganj, Sunamganj and Rajbari districts as rain accompanied by thunderstorms swept the districts on Friday. The death toll from the lightning incidents across the country rose to 39 in two days with the death of these seven people. In Gaibandha, a streak of lightning struck Sirajul Islam, 60, of Malibari Purbopara village of Sadar upazila, as he was working on a cropland during thunderstorm around 11 am, leaving him injured. “He died when he was being taken to a local hospital,” said Malibari UP chairman Najmul Huda. In Chittagong, a man was killed by a lightning strike in Kathtoli area under Pahartoli thana of the city in the morning. The deceased was identified as Amzad Ali, 50, son of Nizam Ud Doula of the area. Ranjit Barua, officer-in-charge of Pahartoli police station, said a thunderbolt struck Amzad when he was standing near a dam adjacent to his house in the morning, leaving him dead on the spot. In Joypurhat, Manik, 28, a farmer of Ghugoil village of Khetlal upazila, was killed as a thunderbolt struck him while he was working on a paddy field in Hawar bil area of the upazila around 10:30am. Meanwhile, another farmer, Rafiqul Islam, 35, hailing from Dhekerpar village of Nageshwar upazila in Kurigram district, was killed by a thunderbolt as he was working on a farmland at Sotoghata village in Sadar upazila in the morning. In Habiganj, Nurul Islam, 55, was killed as a thunderbolt hit him in Rema tea garden area of Chunarughat upazila around 12pm. In Rajbari, a lightning strike left Sobhan Sarder, 50, a resident of Ujanchar union of Goalondo upazila, dead around 2:45pm. Meanwhile Jasmine Nahar, 25, son of Abdul Jalil Sarder and her one-and-half-year-old child Apon and Priya, 18, wife of Khalilur Rahman, were injured in the incident. In Sunamganj, Amir Uddin, 30, a resident of Kamarkhal village of Jagannathpur upazila, was killed as a thunderbolt hit him around 12pm. Earlier on Thursday, at least 32 people were killed and six others injured in lightning strikes in the capital and nine districts across the country. Of the victims, eight were killed in Pabna, five each in Sirajganj and Rajshahi, four in Kishoreganj, two each in capital’s Jatrabari, Gazipur, Bogra and Natore and one each in Narsingdi and Nilphamari districts. — Dhaka, May 13 (UNB)
