Lightning kills 16 in 10 districts

At least 16 people have been killed and three injured when lightning and storm struck 10 districts in Bangladesh.

Lightning killed three in Mymensingh and Jhenaidah each, two in Chandpur and Narayanganj each, and one each in Brahmanbaria, Chuadanga, Gaibandha, Narail, Gopalganj and Habiganj on Tuesday.

The victim in Mymensingh town was a 15-year-old schoolboy, Mahmudul Hasan Tamim.

He was playing on the ground of his Mymensingh Zila School when the lightning hit him, said Kotwali Model Police Station OC Kamrul Islam.

Two brothers - Engraj Mia, 32, and Asad Mia, 35 - died after being hit by lightning while cutting paddy in a field in Rauti village of Dhobaurha, Upazila council Chairman Mazni Mridha said.    

Those killed in Jhenaidah have been identified as Miraj Hossain, 50, and Md Amanullah, 40, of Amerchara village in Harinakundu Upazila, and Anjura Begum, 45, of Molladanga village in Kaliganj Upazila.

Miraj and Amanullah were working in the field when they were hit by the lightning strike, Police Sub-Inspector Shakhawat Hossain said.

Anjura Begum was carrying paddy to her house, her brother Shariful Islam said.

The deceased in Narayanganj are Jamil Mia, 45, of Barha Monohardi, and Subeda Begum, 35, of Mordasadi in Arhaihazar.

Jamil was fishing while Subeda was carrying paddy home from a field when they were hit by lightning, Arhaihazar Police Station OC Sakhawat Hossain said.

A 40-year-old woman, Selina Begum, and her 15-year-old son, Yasin Sarder, were killed in Chandpur.

Rajrajeshwar Union Parishad Chairman Hazrat Ali Bepari said the two were killed near a pond close to their house in north Balishahi Dhalikandi village.

Three other people were injured in a lightning while working on the yard of their house in Goalnagar village.

The UP chairman said they were being treated at the state-run hospital in Chandpur Sadar Upazila.

Doctor Rayhan Ahmed said all three were in critical condition.

Naba Chandra, 27, a rickshaw van-puller in Gaibandha, was hit by lightning strike while returning home, pulling his van at Pairgaon in Gobindaganj Upazila, said Kamdia Union Parishad Chairman Chowdhury Bablu.

Farmer Zulfikar Hossain, 42, is the victim in Narail. He was working in the field during the storm in Sadar Upazila, said the local state-run hospital's doctor Protik Biswas.

Another farmer, Shameem Khandaker, 26, died while cutting paddy in Gopalganj, said Boultali Police Camp SI Fariduzzaman.   

In Brahmanbaria's Shyamgram, 30-year-old Khodeza Begum died after being hit by lightning when she went out to call her son home, Police Inspector Aslam Shikder said.

A 12-year-old boy, Abdul Malek, was killed in Chuadanga when he was returning home from the field, Damurhuda Upazila Health Complex doctor Rokanuzzaman said.

Met Office control room official Abu Rayhan, quoting local officials, said one Rakib Mia, 27, was killed by lightning strike in Habiganj.