Lightning strikes kill 9 across four districts

Online Desk  :  Nine people, predominantly farmers, were killed and several others injured by lightning strikes across four districts across the country on Monday.  The fatalities occurred between the morning and afternoon as sudden thunderstorms swept through the regions, catching many victims while they were working in open fields and water bodies. The casualties were reported in the northeastern districts of Netrokona, Sunamganj, and Habiganj, as well as the southern coastal district of Noakhali. Most of the victims were engaged in seasonal agricultural activities, particularly harvesting paddy in the haor (wetland) regions, when the lightning struck. In Netrokona, three people...

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Online Desk  :  Nine people, predominantly farmers, were killed and several others injured by lightning strikes across four districts across the country on Monday.  The fatalities occurred between the morning and afternoon as sudden thunderstorms swept through the regions, catching many victims while they were working in open fields and water bodies. The casualties were reported in the northeastern districts of Netrokona, Sunamganj, and Habiganj, as well as the southern coastal district of Noakhali.

Most of the victims were engaged in seasonal agricultural activities, particularly harvesting paddy in the haor (wetland) regions, when the lightning struck. In Netrokona, three people died in separate incidents within Khaliajuri upazila. Abdul Motalib, 55, was struck and killed while fishing in the Dhanu River. Later in the day, two farmers, Monayem Kha Palan and Md Shuvo Mondol, died instantly in separate haor areas while drying and harvesting paddy.

Police confirmed the incidents and have begun handing the bodies over to the grieving families. A similar tragedy unfolded in neighboring Sunamganj, where three farmers lost their lives while harvesting paddy in the wetlands on Monday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Jamir Hossain, 42, Jamir Uddin, 46, and Abu Saleh, 22.  Medical officials at the Sunamganj Sadar Hospital confirmed the men were brought dead. Three other farmers injured by lightning in the district’s Shantiganj area are currently receiving medical treatment.

In Habiganj, two more fatalities occurred around 3:00 PM Maksud Ali, 40, was killed instantly while cutting paddy in Nabiganj upazila, and Abdus Salam, 35, died in Baniachang while fetching harvested crops near his home. Local government officials have pledged financial assistance to support Ali’s impoverished family. Meanwhile, in Noakhali’s Hatiya upazila, 22-year-old Mohammad Arafat Hossain died around 2:00 PM. The young tea stall vendor and part-time farmer was struck by lightning as he rushed to gather peanuts he had laid out to dry before the rain started.

Police stated the body was handed over to his family without an autopsy, as no foul play was suspected.